TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Export Credits

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the provision of export credits for military equipment.

Patricia Hewitt: Export credits for the sale of all goods and technology controlled for strategic reasons are subject to an export licence being issued by the Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation. All export licence applications are scrutinised rigorously and considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria.
	Export credit support for defence sales to 63 of the poorest developing countries is not generally available. New export credits extended by ECGD to these countries have been restricted to "productive expenditure" that would benefit economic and social development. The OECD Statement of Principles on Official Export Credit Support to Heavily Indebted Poor Countries limits the productive expenditure criteria to the 41 HIPC's.

Export Credits

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the outstanding amounts of ECGD guarantees in respect of defence equipment broken down by country for the financial years (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01.

Patricia Hewitt: The breakdown of the amount outstanding at the close of each of the financial years on ECGD guarantees for defence equipment and services was as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Market Amount outstanding 
		
		
			 Financial year 1999–2000  
			 Algeria 97.8 
			 Brazil 27.8 
			 Brunei Darussalam 441.0 
			 Chile 18.9 
			 Egypt 46.1 
			 Greece 20.8 
			 India 13.1 
			 Indonesia 745.5 
			 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.3 
			 Italy 4.2 
			 Jordan 253.8 
			 Kenya 16.7 
			 Korea, Republic of 68.9 
			 Kuwait 167.9 
			 Lithuania 2.9 
			 Malaysia 251.5 
			 Nigeria 145.4 
			 Oman 486.7 
			 Qatar 151.4 
			 Saudi Arabia 1,000.0 
			 Singapore 6.3 
			 Spain 38.1 
			 Sweden 5.0 
			 Thailand 20.0 
			 Turkey 332.9 
			 United Arab Emirates 2.2 
			 United States 61.8 
			 Zimbabwe 3.0 
		
	
	
		£ million 
		
			 Market Amount outstanding 
		
		
			 Financial year 2000–01  
			 Algeria 95.5 
			 Brazil 22.3 
			 Brunei Darussalam 344.1 
			 Chile 17.6 
			 Egypt 43.0 
			 Greece 62.6 
			 India 10.7 
			 Indonesia 729.4 
			 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.3 
			 Italy 4.2 
			 Jordan 252.7 
			 Kenya 10.8 
			 Korea, Republic of 57.4 
			 Kuwait 90.8 
			 Lithuania 1.4 
			 Malaysia 158.3 
			 Nigeria 145.4 
			 Oman 387.2 
			 Qatar 91.8 
			 Saudi Arabia 1,000.0 
			 Singapore 4.3 
			 South Africa 839.4 
			 Spain 23.0 
			 Sweden 5.0 
			 Thailand 1.3 
			 Turkey 285.7 
			 United Arab Emirates 1.3 
			 United States 59.0 
			 Zimbabwe 0.9 
		
	
	Note:
	Amount outstanding includes future maturities plus unrecovered claims.

Small Businesses

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will respond to the recommendation of the National Audit Office (HC329) that small business panels should be set up to give feedback on regulatory proposals; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: I welcome the NAO report and its recommendations as they relate to the Small Business Service. The SBS is already taking action to meet the recommendations of the report as they relate to the SBS, including the use of small business panels such as focus group in order to consult small businesses on regulatory proposals.

Manufacturing Industry

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of people employed in manufacturing industry in (a) Worcestershire and (b) Herefordshire.

Alan Johnson: The DfES Labour Force Survey—August 2001 indicated that:
	(a) 67,000 people (23.7 per cent. of the labour force) were employed in the manufacturing sector in Worcestershire.
	(b) 15,000 people (18.9 per cent. of the labour force) were employed in the manufacturing sector in Herefordshire.

Office of Science and Technology

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what role the Minister of Science will play in the new structures within her Department;
	(2)  what plans she has to reconstruct the Office of Science and Technology, and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what role a Director General of Science, Technology and Innovation will play in directing blue skies research; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what plans she has for the role of the Director General Research Councils.

Patricia Hewitt: The responsibilities of the Office of Science and Technology (OST), which are cross- Government, will remain largely unchanged. The new Director General of Science, Technology and Innovation in the DTI will work closely with the Director General of Research Councils and with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the OST to integrate the Department's policy-making on science, technology and innovation with its productivity agenda.
	One of the new Director General of Science Technology and Innovation's key objectives will be to maximise the Government's significant investment in science by providing a stronger focus on technology transfer within my Department. He or she will be recruited from outside the Department and will work with the Minister for Science and Innovation in carrying out their functions.

Departmental Review

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will appoint the new Director of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Patricia Hewitt: This post has been created as an outcome of the review of my Department, the conclusions of which I announced on 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 396W. The post will be filled by an external open competition. I would expect the appointment to be made in spring 2002.

Research Councils

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the outcome of the second stage of the Quinquennial Review of the six grant-awarding research councils will be announced; and what its principal conclusions are.

Patricia Hewitt: I am pleased today to announce the outcome of the second stage of the Quinquennial Review of the six grant-awarding Research Councils. I shall be placing a copy of the stage 2 report in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Quinquennial reviews are conducted in two stages. I announced the outcome of stage 1 on 19 July. It concluded that the six grant-awarding Research Councils should continue to be executive non-departmental public bodies.
	I welcome the thrust of the stage 2 report and its recommendations and accept the review's main conclusions that:
	the Research Council system is working reasonably well;
	to deal with the increasing pace of scientific change and complexity of national and international arrangements, the Councils need to be capable of acting and speaking as one, and of promoting new and increasingly multidisciplinary science;
	they also need to do business with their key stakeholders in more convergent ways and in line with modernising Government principles;
	there should be a new strategy group comprising the Council chief executives and the Director General of the Research Councils to achieve these aims, and to provide a framework for cross-Council working at all levels;
	with a clearer identity and mission, the Councils as a group will be able to develop closer links with the other major science funders, including the Funding Councils, Government Departments and the major charities;
	they will also be able to work more closely with other key stakeholders, including the universities and the business and public service organisations which use their research and trained people;
	to capitalise on these stronger relationships and closer working, and to ensure delivery of key objectives, the Research Councils and DTI need to develop a stronger strategic framework for science and a long term strategic 'road map' towards which the full range of players in science can direct their efforts.
	It will be for the Research Councils, working closely with my Department, to implement the review's detailed recommendations. Once this is completed, I am confident that the effectiveness of science budget expenditure will be enhanced.
	I am grateful to all those who contributed to this Quinquennial Review, in particular the members of the review steering group, working groups, and Research Council staff.

UK Online Annual Report

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she plans to publish the UK Online annual report 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: The second UK online annual report has been published today, and copies have been placed in the House Libraries.

Employment Agencies

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employment agencies specialise in recruiting (a) nurses, (b) secretaries, (c) IT professionals and (d) generalists.

Alan Johnson: A detailed breakdown for the private recruitment industry by particular specialist areas is not available, since many agencies and employment businesses provide work-finding services for a number of occupations. However, we estimate that there are about 20,000 employment agencies establishments, of which around 900 are licensed nurse agencies and some 2,000 specialise in IT.

Equal Pay

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information she has collated on the private sector companies that have carried out gender pay audits as recommended by the Code of Practice on Equal Pay 1997 to assess their compliance with the Equal Pay Act since 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 November 2001
	The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Code of Practice on Equal Pay aims to provide practical guidance and to recommend good practice to employers. There is no legal obligation on employers to carry out gender pay audits under the Equal Pay Act.
	Many employers have stated publicly that they have carried out, or are planning to carry out a pay review while others prefer to keep this information confidential. Information has not therefore been collated on private sector companies that have carried out gender pay audits.
	A programme of action is under way to promote the practice of pay reviews in line with the EOC code of practice. We are funding the EOC to prepare a model for voluntary pay reviews which will offer a technical example for employers in how to review the pay of their male and female employees. Extra funding has been made available to trade unions for training representatives in equal pay issues in the workplace. We plan to introduce annual awards for employers which will recognise excellence in addressing equal pay and related issues.

Equal Pay

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her priorities are for inclusion in the European Community forthcoming draft directive on equal pay.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 November 2001
	No proposal to amend the Equal Pay Directive (75/117/EEC) has been made by the Commission nor are we aware that the Commission has laid down any firm timetable for doing so. If a proposal to amend the Equal Pay Directive is forthcoming, the Government will consider it very carefully, in the light of case law since the Directive came into force in 1975 and the results from the current process of amending the Equal Treatment Directive (76/207/EEC).

Equal Pay

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in revising the employment tribunal regulations concerning the hearing of equal pay cases, as outlined in the consultation document "Towards Equal Pay for Women".

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 November 2001
	Two proposals outlined in the consultation document "Towards Equal Pay for Women" have been implemented already. These are: simplifying multiple cases by requiring just one application (IT1 form) and one response from the employer (IT3 form) which has been given effect in the Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2001 that came into force in July 2001; and the Burden of Proof Regulations, which implement the Burden of Proof Directive 97/80/EC, which were laid 20 July and came into force on 12 October. The proposal to introduce a questionnaire procedure into the Equal Pay Act has been included in the Employment Bill that was introduced on 7 November 2001. The Government intend to implement those changes that can be done by tribunal regulations when the Employment Bill has received Royal Assent and others will be carried out when parliamentary time permits.

Jodrell Bank

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future funding of Jodrell Bank Observatory.

Patricia Hewitt: Jodrell Bank Observatory is owned and operated by the University of Manchester, who are responsible for its funding and operation. It has successfully applied for and received a rolling grant from the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) for a number of years for astronomical research. That grant was last reassessed in September 2001, and PPARC awarded Jodrell Bank Observatory just over £2 million for the four years until September 2005. The grant will next come up for reassessment in September 2003. Jodrell Bank Observatory also co-ordinates the MERLIN network of radio telescopes, for which it receives a separate grant from PPARC of approximately £2.2 million per year. This grant is due to expire in 2003. It is currently being reassessed.

Departmental Funding and Initiatives

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list all (a) funding sources and (b) initiatives available from her Department to (i) the private sector, (ii) the voluntary sector and (iii) local authorities.

Patricia Hewitt: Information on my Department's funding sources and initiatives can be found in table C1 and in the text of my Department's 2001 Expenditure Plans Report (Cm 5112), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Departmental spending relating specifically to local authorities can be found in table B8 of this report.
	Many of the Department's programmes are not sector specific and we do not keep centrally information on involvement with particular sectors. This information cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. However, my Department does supply funding to the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB) and Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) to support the work of the Citizens Advice Service and its volunteers. This financial year my Department provided NACAB with £16.9 million grant in aid (£16.4 million for 2000–01) and CAS with £2.8 million (£2.225 million in 2000–01).

Ilisu Dam

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has made to the Government of Turkey regarding the future of the Ilisu Dam.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 29 November 2001
	I have made no representations to the Government of Turkey regarding the future of the Ilisu Dam.
	Following Balfour Beatty's announcement that it had withdrawn from the project there is no longer an application for ECGD support and therefore no UK government involvement.

Local Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those local bodies which were set up under legislation which is the responsibility of her Department since May 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department has established no local public spending bodies.

Retail Motor Fuels Industry

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the continuance of an independent retail motor fuels industry; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Consumers benefit from a continuing competitive market in motor fuels, in which independent retailers have a part to play.

Motor Industry

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed in the retail motor industry in the United Kingdom.

Patricia Hewitt: Approximately 600,000 people are employed in the retail motor industry in the United Kingdom.

Motor Industry

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the terms of reference and composition are of the Automotive Innovative Growth Team; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (AIGT) was established in April 2001 under the chairmanship of Sir Ian Gibson. The remit of the AIGT is to:
	Understand and evaluate the factors that will drive the automotive sector globally, identifying the opportunities and threats to the UK as a market and supply base;
	Formulate a vision of what the industry in the UK could be in five to 15 years' time;
	Stimulate frank debate about where the UK's sources of competitive advantage lie and how best to exploit these to drive positive long-term changes;
	Develop, co-ordinate and promote a new strategy to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the automotive sector;
	Make recommendations to Government, industry and others for specific action including changes in both policies and processes.
	The Members of the AIGT Strategy Team are as follows:
	Chairman
	Sir Ian Gibson
	Members
	Mike Baunton, Perkins Engines
	Jonathan Browning, formerly of Jaguar
	Hugh Chambers, Prodrive
	Richard Clowes, GKN
	John Cushnaghan, Nissan
	Tod Evans, Peugeot
	Sir Ken Jackson, AEEU
	Professor Dan Jones, University of Cardiff Business School
	Mike O'Shea, DTI
	Graham Smith, Toyota
	Willy Rickett, Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions
	Philip Rutnam, HM Treasury
	Alex Stephenson, Advantage West Midlands.
	Further details of the AIGT's work can be found in the interim report published in October, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 27 November 2001
	I have been asked to reply.
	The WTO dispute settlement understanding was a major achievement of the Uruguay round of trade negotiations.
	Experience has shown a need for some improvements to, and clarifications of, that understanding: I therefore welcome the agreement last month at Doha on negotiations to that end.

World Trade Rules

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 590W, on world trade rules, if she will set out the areas of (a) agreement and (b) disagreement she has had with the collective proposals put forward by NGOs in respect of world trade rules.

Clare Short: We agree that trade rules must help to eliminate poverty, and that poor countries need a fair and effective rules-based international trading system. We agree on the need for capacity building, and for an approach that recognises more explicitly that WTO members are at different stages of development. However, we disagree with some NGOs on some WTO issues. For example, we believe that the recent campaigning against the GATS has been very misleading. Our position on all these issues is set out in a series of Background Briefing Notes on Trade and Development which I am placing in the Library.

Correspondence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many letters she has received in 2001 on third world debt from residents of the Buckingham constituency;
	(2)  how many letters she has received in 2001 on overseas aid from residents of the Buckingham constituency.

Clare Short: So far in 2001 I have received four letters from residents of the Buckingham constituency through the hon. Member, three of which were on the subject of third world debt or overseas aid. I am unable to provide information on letters received independent of the hon. Member as details of such correspondents are not kept.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will estimate the total unallocated funds within her departmental expenditure limit (a) at the start of the financial year and (b) to date; and what was the month seven forecast on outturn underspend against her departmental expenditure limit in (i) real and (ii) percentage terms.

Clare Short: DFID's Departmental Report for 2001 (CM 5111) contains the Departmental Unallocated Provision (DUP) set for the present financial year in Annexe 1, Table 2. There has been no draw down of the Department's DUP to date.
	Outturn against six month forecast for each Request for Resources will be published in the winter Supplementary Estimates Summary Request for Supply as usual.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date her Department established a working group of officials to prepare her Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up.

Kim Howells: My Department is fully aware of its responsibilities under the forthcoming legislation, not only on its own account but also in respect of its sponsored bodies. No formal working group has been established but a number of responsible officials in DCMS meet as necessary, and will ensure that all appropriate action is taken to prepare both the Department and its NDPBs for implementation.
	We wrote to our NDPBs in June to ensure they were aware of the then timetable and will do so again shortly in respect of the changes announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor on 13 November. Plans are currently being developed for training throughout the Department, the creation of written guidance and the development of a departmental publication scheme.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many companies took part in the bidding process for the public relations contract with NMEC (New Millennium Experience Company) for the Millennium Dome; and who was on the panel for appointing the consultancy firm.

Kim Howells: holding answer 27 November 2001
	Cardew and Co. were appointed by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) in September 2000, a time of very high press interest. NMEC needed the services of a press agency which had previous experience of corporate rescue situations and experience of complex financial matters. NMEC considered that Cardew and Co. met the requirements. The arrangements for the appointment were in line with NMEC's procurement rules covering the situation where insufficient time existed for a competitive process.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the value, per annum, of the contract held between the New Millennium Experience Company and Cardew Consultancy; what sum in total has been paid to Cardew Consultancy by the New Millennium Experience Company since Cardew were employed by NMEC; what period the present contract between the New Millennium Experience Company and Cardew runs for; what services Cardew presently provides for the New Millennium Experience Company; what assessment he has made of those services; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 27 November 2001
	The new Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) retains Cardew and Co. to provide external press support. Cardew and Co. are paid on an hourly rate, per job, when required. The total sum which has been paid since October 2000 is £339,655. Cardew and Co.'s contract will cease when NMEC has completed the solvent liquidation process. I have not made any assessment of the services provided by Cardews which is a matter for NMEC.

Church Repairs

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the English Heritage budget for church repairs for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2003–04; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: English Heritage's budget for repairs to all listed places of worship for 1997–98 to 2003–04 is:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 7,127,000 
			 1998–99 9,550,000 
			 1999–2000 10,169,000 
			 2000–01 11,042,000 
			 2001–02 9,049,000 
			 2002–03 10,370,000 
			 2003–04 12,220,000 
		
	
	English Heritage's planned expenditure for 2002–03 and 2003–04 also includes grants to cathedrals, as the individual elements of their planned grants programme have yet to be finalised.
	My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts today launched the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which will offset the cost of VAT on repairs and maintenance to listed buildings which are used as places of worship. The scheme has been welcomed by those responsible for these important parts of our heritage as it represents significant additional new funds.

Channel 5

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which areas of the country are able to access the transmission signal of Channel 5 via a terrestrial television; what plans she has to increase the coverage of Channel 5; and if she plans to upgrade the television transmitters unable to broadcast Channel 5's signal.

Kim Howells: Analogue terrestrial Channel 5 services reach around 80 per cent. of the UK population and coverage details can be found on Channel 5's website at: www.channel5.co.uk. There are no plans to extend analogue Channel 5 services, as the provision of digital terrestrial television now has priority in the use of scarce spectrum. Channel 5 is carried on all digital platforms. Digital terrestrial coverage information is available on the Digital Television Group website at: www.dtg.org.uk. The Government's aim is to ensure that the main free-to-view analogue channels are available in digital form to those who can currently get these analogue channels.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2001, Ref. 18772, on the Parliamentary Ombudsman, on which date the notification was received; and on which date a response was made.

Richard Caborn: In the case mentioned in my earlier reply, notification was received on 2 November 2000 and a response made on 12 December 2000.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2001, Ref. 18772, on the Parliamentary Ombudsman, what formal notices (a) have been received and (b) have been responded to since 31 March.

Richard Caborn: My Department has received no formal notices from the Ombudsman since 31 March 2001.

Creative Partnerships

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Creative Partnerships; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 30 November 2001
	Creative Partnerships will be launched in April 2002, when funding of £40 million becomes available. This is a new initiative which will give young people opportunities to work alongside arts and cultural organisations and individuals to develop their artistic and creative skills. Alongside the initiative, the Arts Council of England will undertake an extensive evaluation and research programme.

Deprivation Criteria (Sports Funding)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the constituency deprivation criteria for bids to the new opportunities fund for sport bids; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Under the new opportunities for PE and sport programme, the new opportunities fund has allocated funding to each local education authority (LEA) area. The allocations have been determined on the basis of the size of the school population and the number of people living in deprived wards in the area.
	It is for local partnerships, led by LEAs, to decide what the needs and priorities are in local areas, within the context of the new opportunities fund's programme guidance. A key criterion in the assessment of bids will be that projects meet the aim of promoting social inclusion.

Government Indemnity Scheme

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many indemnity undertakings were given under section 16 of the National Heritage Act 1986 for the six month period ended 30 September; and what the value was of (a) any contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings given at any time under that section which remain outstanding as at 30 September, (b) non- statutory Government indemnities in respect of loans handled by the Government art collection which remain outstanding as at 30 September and (c) non-statutory undertakings to Her Majesty in respect of loans from the royal collection which remain outstanding as at 30 September.

Kim Howells: The provision for the Government indemnity scheme is made by the National Heritage Act 1980. The scheme facilitates public access to loans of works of art and other objects for public display made to museums, galleries and other such institutions by private owners and non-national institutions. It does this by indemnifying lenders against loss or damage to their loan. Loans covered by the scheme must be for public benefit. The scheme also covers loans of such objects for study purposes within borrowing institutions where this would contribute materially to the public's understanding or appreciation of the loan. Examples of this are enhancing interpretation or explanation to the public of objects or bringing into the public domain the conclusions of any study.
	In the six month period ended 30 September, the following undertakings to indemnify were given under section 16 by the relevant Departments for objects on loan to national and non-national institutions:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 601 
			 Scottish Executive Education Department 238 
			 The National Assembly for Wales 111 
		
	
	The value of contingent liabilities in respect of undertakings given at any time under section 16 and which remained outstanding as at 30 September is:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2,935,420,221 
			 Scottish Executive Education Department 455,246,280 
			 The National Assembly for Wales 50.621,348 
		
	
	The value of non-statutory Government indemnities to cover loans handled by the Government Art Collection and which remained outstanding as at 30 September is:
	Value: £6,000,000.
	The value of non-statutory undertakings given to Her Majesty in respect of loans from the royal collection and which remained outstanding as at 30 September is:
	Value: £209,522,345.

SCOTLAND

Drug Misuse

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on drug misuse in Scotland.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with the Home Office on drug-related matters.

Helen Liddell: We continue to work closely with the Scottish Executive and with the Home Office on the UK strategies to tackle drug misuse. In particular my hon. Friend the Minister of State is playing a direct role in the legislation currently before the House to strengthen court powers to confiscate assets of drug dealers and other criminals.

Skye Toll Bridge

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations she has received in respect of the Skye toll bridge.

George Foulkes: I have received four representations on this issue since August 2001.
	Issues related to the Skye bridge project are a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

Child Poverty

Ernie Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement about the number of children living in poverty in Scotland since 1997.

George Foulkes: We are making good progress on child poverty. Detailed information can be found in "Opportunity for All", published by the Government, and in the Scottish Executive's Annual Social Justice Report, a Scotland where everyone matters.

Scotrail

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she will next meet officials from Railtrack to discuss Scotrail and Railtrack.

Helen Liddell: I hope to meet with Railtrack senior management shortly to discuss a range of matters.

Scottish Parliament

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has made to the Boundary Commission for Scotland on the distribution of seats for the Scottish Parliament.

Helen Liddell: None. However I wrote to Lady Cosgrove, Deputy Chairman of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, on 6 November to inform her that I would shortly be launching a consultation on the size of the Scottish Parliament.

PIU Energy Review

Anne Picking: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the coal industry in Scotland on the status of coal in the PIU energy review.

George Foulkes: I represent the Scotland Office on the PIU Energy Review Advisory Group. I have met with a wide variety of individuals and organisations with an interest in energy issues, including representatives of the coal industry in Scotland, to discuss their views on the matters covered by the review.

Manufacturing Industry

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the state of manufacturing industry in Scotland.

Helen Liddell: Manufacturing industry continues to be very important to the economy of Scotland employing some 300,000 in June 2001 and supporting a further 185,000 jobs in the Scottish economy. Manufacturing exports amounted to £19.3 billion in the year to 2001–02 according to Scottish Executive figures, an increase of 8.6 per cent. compared with the previous four quarters. The sound policies of economic management, which this Government are pursuing, continue to deliver the best platform for the manufacturing sector to deal with current difficult global trading conditions.

Winter Fuel Payment

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pensioners in Scotland will receive the winter fuel payment in this financial year.

George Foulkes: We expect almost one million people aged 60 and over to receive a winter fuel payment in Scotland this financial year. The estimated total expenditure in Scotland in this area is around £150 million.

Drug Dealers (Confiscated Assets)

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to confiscate the assets of drug dealers in Scotland.

George Foulkes: My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department and I are working closely together on the Proceeds of Crime Bill. This legislation, which is currently before the House, will strengthen court powers to confiscate the assets of drug dealers and other criminals.

Visit Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive concerning the re-structuring of Visit Scotland.

George Foulkes: I am in regular contact with ministerial colleagues in the Scottish Executive about a range of issues. The re-structuring of Visit Scotland is a matter for the Visit Scotland Board and the Scottish Executive.

Tourism

Rosemary McKenna: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on her action to promote tourism in Scotland in co-ordination with other parts of the United Kingdom.

Helen Liddell: I am in regular contact with the British Tourist Authority and its partners to ensure that Scotland and the whole of the UK is promoted as a tourist destination. Tomorrow evening I shall be speaking at a BTA reception which has been organised to introduce Scottish MPs to the BTA and give them an opportunity to see how Scotland and their own areas are promoted by the BTA.
	I am also working closely with the BTA and Visit Scotland on my new initiative to make connections with friends of Scotland across the world.

Afghanistan

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action she has taken to explain the Government's policy in relation to the war in Afghanistan to Scotland's Muslim community.

Helen Liddell: I visited the Islamic Centre and Glasgow Central Mosque on 9 November, where I spoke to over 100 people including around 30–40 leaders of the Muslim community from throughout Scotland.
	I made clear this Government's policy on the war against terrorism and offered our continued support to Scotland's Muslim community as respected members of our society.

Scottish Regiments

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she last met the Secretary of State for Defence to discuss plans for the future involvement of Scottish regiments in combating terrorism; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: Although I see my right hon. Friend on a regular basis I have not yet had the opportunity to discuss plans for the future involvement of Scottish regiments in combating terrorism. I hope to do so in the near future.

National Minimum Wage (Uprating)

John McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland benefit from the uprating of the national minimum wage.

George Foulkes: The increase in the adult national minimum wage to £4.10 per hour and the youth rate to £3.50 from October 2001 is benefiting around 135,000 people across Scotland. The national minimum wage is having a direct and beneficial impact on the pay of the lowest paid workers in Scotland; is helping to close the gap between the highest and lowest earners; and is helping reduce the differential between men's and women's pay. This has been achieved without any discernible adverse impact on the economy.

Barnett Formula (Teachers' Pay)

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the cost of teachers' pay in Scotland for the purposes of determining the funding allocation under the Barnett formula.

Helen Liddell: The Barnett Formula provided the Scottish Executive with a population-based share of increases in comparable spending of UK Government Departments in the 2000 Comprehensive Spending Review. Within its overall departmental expenditure limit it is for the Scottish Executive to decide how to allocate its budget, including the funding of teachers' pay in Scotland.

Economic Trends

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she last met the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to discuss trends in the Scottish economy; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: I last met the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise on 27 November and we discussed a range of issues. While Scotland cannot remain immune to the effects of a global slowdown, the tough decisions that this Government have taken mean that the economic fundamentals in the UK and in Scotland remain sound. The Scottish economy, as part of the UK economy, is better placed than ever before to cope with the effects of a global downturn in demand.

Economic Trends

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what economic modelling has been undertaken to determine the prospects for the Scottish economy up to 2005.

Helen Liddell: Neither the Scotland Office, nor the Scottish Executive, publish forecasts for the Scottish economy. We do, however, monitor several independent forecasts on the Scottish economy.

Former Miners (Compensation)

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she next expects to meet the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to discuss compensation, on disability grounds, for former miners.

Helen Liddell: I have frequent discussions with my right. hon Friend. We are making good progress with the coal health compensation scheme in Scotland. So far the Government have paid out a total of £19 million in relation to respiratory diseases and £25.8 million in relation to Vibration White Finger.

Employment Trends

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on employment trends in Scotland since September.

Helen Liddell: Latest figures show that there are 2.381 million people in work in Scotland, a fall of 0.5 per cent. over the previous three months but a rise of 3,000 over the same period a year ago. The number of people out of work and claiming benefit rose by 800 in October, but remains at its lowest level for a quarter of a century.

Rail Congestion

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action the Government are taking to reduce rail congestion in east central Scotland.

George Foulkes: The Scottish Executive has taken a leading role in researching the potential for development of rail infrastructure in Scotland.
	I understand that they are to conduct a Central Belt railway capacity study, which aims to assess the likely costs and benefits of potential improvements to existing, and new, passenger services, and infrastructure enhancements in central Scotland.

Barnett Formula

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was, in real terms and for each year since 1999 (a) the annual charge to moneys paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund as a result of the operation of the Barnett Formula and (b) the total annual sum received by the Scottish Executive from the Scottish Consolidated Fund.

Helen Liddell: Information on the grant paid to the Scottish Consolidated Fund since 1999 is published in the Scotland Office Estimates and the Scotland Office Departmental Report. The grant is a block grant and is not disaggregated or hypothecated.

Barnett Formula

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much public money, in real terms, was received in each year since 1979 by the (a) Scottish Office, (b) Scotland Office and (c) Scottish Executive that was external to the block grant and Barnett Formula; and what was for each year (i) the single largest item of such expenditure and (ii) the total amount of such expenditure.

Helen Liddell: This information is not readily available. Moreover, coverage of the block grant arrangements has changed since 1979, which makes comparisons over this period difficult. However, information on Scottish public expenditure back to 1995–96 was published in chapter 8 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses in April 2001. Information for earlier years was published in previous editions of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.

Barnett Formula

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was, in real terms and for each year between 1979 and 1999 (a) the annual change to the budget of the Scottish Office arising from the operation of the Barnett Formula and (b) the total annual expenditure of the Scottish Office.

Helen Liddell: This information is not readily available. Moreover, coverage of the block grant arrangements has changed since 1979, which makes comparisons over this period difficult.

Community Banking

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the First Minister on the development of Community Banking in Scotland.

Helen Liddell: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a wide range of issues.
	The first community banking agreement in the UK is being piloted between the community of Wester Hailes in Edinburgh and the Bank of Scotland. Funding for the scheme has been provided by the Bank of Scotland and the Scottish Executive through the West Edinburgh Pathfinder initiative.

E-Business Access Programme

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many businesses in Scotland, broken down by sector, have benefited from the First Steps e-business access programme.

Helen Liddell: This is a matter for the Scottish Executive. However, I understand that the First Steps into E-Commerce workshop was delivered by Scottish Enterprise to almost 1,700 in Scotland between February 2000 and August 2001. The programme has since been redeveloped to address customer feedback. First Steps now consists of four separate workshops allowing companies to attend the most appropriate session/s based on their current level of e-business adoption. Since 10 September 2001 almost 400 delegates have attended one of the four workshops in the First Steps workshop series. Scottish Enterprise do not hold details of company sector for past attendees. However they are looking at capturing that information for future events.

Civil Aviation Industry

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to her answer of 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 94, if she will make a statement on the outcome of her meeting with senior representatives of the Civil Aviation Industry.

Helen Liddell: holding answer 23 November 2001
	The meeting which I hosted yesterday allowed the airlines, the airport operators, business representatives and development agencies, to express their views on the current climate for business for the aviation industry in Scotland and beyond, and also the best way in which the industry can go forward.
	It proved to be an extremely useful forum, which led to open and informative discussion from all those who were involved.
	We are reviewing all the issues raised and will take these forward.

Sub-post Offices

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sub-post office closures have been reversed during the statutory period following closure in each year since 1990.

George Foulkes: The Government are committed to maintaining a national network of post offices and foresees them helping customers to access a wide range of public services both electronically and over the counter. I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that historical data on the numbers of post office openings and closures are not maintained separately. During the period April 2000 to March 2001 the number of net post office closures in Scotland was 55. This is very close to the average for the UK during the same time period.

Sub-post Offices

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sub-post offices have closed in (a) Scotland, (b) Dumfries and Galloway and (c) Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency in each year since 1990.

George Foulkes: The Government are committed to maintaining a national network of post offices. It is especially keen to prevent all avoidable closures of rural post offices because they are the focal point for community life in rural areas. Various rate relief schemes apply to many rural post offices. The Government foresee post offices helping customers access a wide range of public services both electronically and over the counter. I understand that Post Office Ltd. do not keep records of the number of post office closures in each parliamentary constituency and consequently such information as the hon. Member requested cannot readily be compiled. During the period April 2000 to March 2001 the number of net post office closures in Scotland was 55. This is very close to the average for the UK during the same time period.

Aggregates Tax

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the impact the Scottish economy of the implementation of the aggregates tax.

Helen Liddell: All revenues from the aggregates levy will be recycled back to business via a cut in employers national insurance contributions and a new sustainability fund. Scotland stands to benefit from some £3 million raised by the aggregates levy, and it will be for the Scottish Executive to decide how to use this money.

Aggregates Tax

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs in Scotland are dependent on the industries which will be subject to the imposition of the aggregates tax.

Helen Liddell: In 1999 there were 2,667 people employed in mineral extraction in Scotland. This information is taken from the National Statistics publication, Mineral Extraction in Great Britain (Business Monitor PA1007).

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Jandoo Report

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Advocate-General what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department of the conclusions of the Jandoo report.

Lynda Clark: This is a matter for the Scottish Executive and not for my Department. I know that the Lord Advocate and the Minister for Justice and their officials are actively engaged in considering this.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

Appointments Commission (Chairman)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council how many days per month the chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission devotes to his duties.

Stephen Twigg: I understand that the Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission has since his appointment on average devoted seven days a month to his duties. He was recruited on the basis that the time commitment for the Chairman was expected to settle down to around 8–10 days a year, although in the first few months, as the Commission established its working practices, it was expected to be more than this. The Chairman has waived his entitlement to remuneration from public funds.

Life Peers (Compulsory Redundancy)

Kevin Brennan: To ask the President of the Council if he will take powers to provide for compulsory redundancy of life peers as part of his plans for the reform of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The White Paper "The House of Lords—Completing the Reform" suggests that the Royal Commission recommendation that current life peers should retain their membership of the House of Lords for life be accepted. Life peers would, however, be enabled to retire if they wished and the Government have said that they welcome views on the possibility of some sort of winding-up and resettlement grant for those peers who choose to take advantage of this new facility.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

David Heath: To ask the President of the Council to ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the House of Commons Commission has consulted the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges on the workload and future staffing requirements of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Archy Kirkwood: The Commission is in correspondence with the Chairman of the Committee on this subject.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on the duties of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Archy Kirkwood: The principal duties of the Commissioner are set out in Standing Order No. 150. In essence they are:
	Providing advice on a confidential basis to individual Members and to the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges about the interpretation of the Code of Conduct and about questions of propriety.
	Receiving and investigating complaints about the conduct of Members (whether related directly to alleged breaches of the Code or not) and reporting the results of investigations to the Committee.
	Maintaining and monitoring the operation of the Register of Members' interests.
	Preparing guidance and providing induction courses for new Members on matters of conduct, propriety and ethics.
	Monitoring the operation of the Code of Conduct and, where appropriate, proposing possible modifications of it to the Standards and Privileges Committee.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood), representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answers to the hon. Members for Lewes (Norman Baker) and for Walsall, North (David Winnick), of 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 484W, on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, how many days a week the first Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was paid for in each year of his term of office.

Archy Kirkwood: The first Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was paid throughout his appointment on the basis of working four days a week.

Select Committee Witnesses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals to amend the rules governing the taking of evidence from witnesses in Select Committees.

Stephen Twigg: My right hon. Friend has no such proposals but would consider any suggestions made by interested parties, such as the Liaison Committee.

Select Committees (Scrutiny)

Christine Russell: To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to propose changes to the House's scrutiny of the Government and the working of Select Committees.

Karen Buck: To ask the President of the Council what proposals he has made to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons to improve the scrutiny of Government by Select Committees.

Stephen Twigg: My right hon. Friend confirmed on 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 197W, that he intends to present a strategy paper to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons in the very near future.

Modernisation of the House

Ann Coffey: To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on recent progress on modernisation of the House.

Robin Cook: It is hoped that the Modernisation Committee will be able to bring forward its first report on the role of Select Committees early in the new year.
	I shall be putting proposals to the Modernisation Committee next week on the wider agenda of reform, including more effective scrutiny of legislation. The intention is that these proposals will be available to all Members in order that their views can inform the work of the Modernisation Committee in preparing recommendations for the House.

Pre-legislative Scrutiny

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals to extend pre-legislative scrutiny.

Robin Cook: We have increased the number of draft bills published and opened up the process of pre-legislative scrutiny. Pre-legislative scrutiny should improve legislation, but demands more effort from all those involved. I hope to see a steady increase in its use until it occurs with the majority of bills, but that will take time to develop.

Members' Computer Equipment

Peter Duncan: To ask the President of the Council what has been the average time taken to (a) deliver and (b) install standard computer equipment to hon. Members' offices in (i) the House of Commons and (ii) constituency offices; and if he will make a statement.

Robin Cook: The information the hon. Member has requested is not held in this form. It is being collated, and a substantive answer will be given as soon as possible.

HEALTH

Elective Surgery

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress has been made towards setting up the fast-track elective surgery centres he announced in February; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will set up a dedicated fast-track elective surgery centre in the North Kent area.

Hazel Blears: We announced plans for 26 diagnostic and treatment centres (DTCs) in February. This put us well on course to exceed the target of 20 schemes developed by 2004 (with eight operational) which we set out in the NHS Plan. Work on the schemes is progressing and we are confident that at least eight of them will be receiving patients by 2004.
	We are now looking at ways to extend the DTC programme, including in the south-east, and if possible to bring it forward. We will consider suitable proposals which stand to benefit even more patients.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Public Service Agreement target for March for the connection of GP surgeries using clinical computer systems to the NHSnet was met.

Hazel Blears: The Public Service Agreement between the Department and Her Majesty's Treasury which formed part of the spending review 2000 did not include a specific target for connection of general practitioner surgeries to NHSnet.
	The Government's information management and technology strategy for the national health service, "Building the Information Core—Implementing the NHS Plan", published in January 2001 gave the target of 95 per cent. of GP practices in England to be connected to NHSnet by end of March 2001.
	At that date 93.6 per cent. of practices in England had an NHSnet connection; over 95 per cent. were connected by the end of May 2001, and at the end of October 2001, over 97 per cent.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the Public Service Agreement target for the connection of GP surgeries which use clinical computer systems to the NHSnet by March 2002.

Hazel Blears: The Public Service Agreement between the Department and Her Majesty's Treasury which formed part of the spending review 2000 did not include a specific target for connection of general practitioner surgeries to NHSnet.
	The Government's information management and technology strategy for the national health service, "Building the Information Core—Implementing the NHS Plan", published in January 2001 gave the target for all GP practices in England to be connected to NHSnet by March 2002.
	At the end of October 2001, over 97 per cent. of GP practices in England were connected to NHSnet. It is expected that by March 2002, nearly all GP practices will be connected.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in meeting the Public Service Agreement target of savings from action on contractor fraud between 1999–2000 and 2001–02.

Hazel Blears: The two Public Service Agreement targets for savings from action on contractor fraud are:
	(a) to recover £6 million lost to fraud by contractors, in pharmaceutical services, by the end of 2001–02, and
	(b) to prevent the loss of £9 million of national health service funds to contractor fraud, again in pharmaceutical services by the end of 2001–02.
	The NHS counter fraud service (NHSCFS) inherited these targets on its formation in late 1998. Among the wide range of activity undertaken in countering fraud in the NHS they have made excellent progress in achieving these PSA targets.
	The first target to recover £6 million lost to fraud by contactors in the pharmaceutical service has already been exceeded. The NHSCFS has, as at the end of October, agreed recoveries totalling £7.47 million.
	The second target was to prevent the loss of £9 million of NHS funds lost to contractor fraud in the pharmaceutical service. By mid January 2002 the NHSCFS will have hard figures for the loss to fraud in this area and for the losses that have been prevented as a result of the work that has taken place.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in meeting the Public Service Agreement target of a 50 per cent. reduction in prescription charge evasion by 2002–03.

Hazel Blears: On its formation in late 1998 the national health service Counter Fraud Service (NHSCFS) inherited the PSA target to reduce patient prescription charge fraud by 50 per cent. by 2002–03.
	The progress of the NHSCFS has made against the target has already shown a reduction in losses to fraud in this area of 41 per cent. (£48 million) by the end of 2000–01.

Acupuncture

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what additional funds are made available to general practitioners for the provision of acupuncture services as part of the treatments administered at their surgeries;
	(2)  how many GPs in the NHS provide acupuncture for their patients within their practice.

Hazel Blears: General practitioners are not required to provide acupuncture as part of either general or personal medical services. They are, however, able to provide acupuncture services under arrangements agreed local with the their health authority or primary care trust. They may also themselves treat patients in this way if they believe it is appropriate and they are qualified to do so. The Department does not, however, collect data on the provision of acupuncture services by general practitioners.

Derriford Hospital

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the (a) income and (b) number of patients treated by Derriford hospital, Plymouth, in the last financial year.

Hazel Blears: The total income of Plymouth hospitals national health service trust in the financial year 2000–01 was £188,822,000. In the same year there were 35,494 non-elective and 52,912 elective finished consultant episodes and 307,101 outpatient attendances at the trust.

Prescription Charging

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Prescription Pricing Authority monitors patient compliance with the prescription charging arrangements.

Hazel Blears: The Compliance Unit of the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) is responsible for carrying out a number of checks on those patients who claim exemption from prescription charges on grounds such as age, certain medical conditions, low income or receipt of certain tax credits or benefits (such as income support). Appropriate organisations are contacted to confirm entitlement to exemption. Where the patient provides additional information to confirm their entitlement, no further action is taken. However, if it is found that a patient has incorrectly claimed exemption from prescription charges, the PPA recovers the outstanding charges and may impose a penalty charge.

Benzodiazepines

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients (a) have been prescribed benzodiazepines and (b) were considered to be clinically dependent upon them during each year since 1971;
	(2)  what advice his Department issued with regard to the (a) daily dosage, (b) time limit of dosage, (c) possible side-effects and (d) tendency to addiction of those prescribed benzodiazepines during the last 25 years; and what assessment he has made of such advice issued by medical advisory bodies;
	(3)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact on NHS patients of prescribing benzodiazepines;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the impact of medical practice to prescribe benzodiazepines to some patients with a spectrum of mental health disorders in respect of (a) recovery from illness, (b) worsening of illness, (c) onset of known side-effects and (d) addiction to these drugs;
	(5)  how many (a) benzodiazepine doses have been administered and (b) prescriptions for benzodiazepines have been written for each year since 1971.

Hazel Blears: The numbers of prescriptions for benzodiazepines from 1980 to 2000 are listed in the tables. However the number of prescriptions cannot be used to determine the number of patients receiving benzodiazepines. Information is not available on the number of patients considered to be clinically dependent upon benzodiazepines.
	Information on the daily dosage, time limit of dosage, possible side effects and tendency to addiction of benzodiazepines is present in the Summary of Product Characteristics, and the Patient Information Leaflet, which is produced by the manufacturer and approved by the Licensing Authority. The Committee of Safety of Medicines, and previously the Committee on the Review of Medicine have issued advice on all these aspects in relation to benzodiazepines use to healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom on a number of occasions in the drug safety bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" and in the British Medical Journal. These publications are listed and copies will be placed in the Library.
	Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 1978—thrombophlebitis associated with diazepam.
	British Medical Journal, 1980: 910–912. Systematic review of benzodiazepines.
	Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 1981—Unexpected severe psychotic effects with Halcion.
	Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 1985—Respiratory depression and hypotension with Midazolam (Hypnovel). Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 1988—Benzodiazepines, dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
	Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 1995—Side effects may impair driving.
	Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 1997—Avoid benzodiazepines during pregnancy and lactation as they may cause side effects in the exposed babies.
	Mental Health Foundation 1994 "Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Benzodiazepine Dependence".
	Department of Health 1999 "Drug misuse and dependence—guidelines on clinical management".
	British National Formulary 2001.
	We are not aware of any audit of the impact of such advice.
	No recent assessment has been made of the impact on national health service patients of prescribing any particular group of psychiatric drugs. Volume of benzodiazepine prescribing in the community is monitored and the measure has been included as a high level performance indicator.
	No assessment has been made of the impact on medical practice of prescribing benzodiazepines, nor has any assessment been made of the impact of the information and advice provided on medical practice.
	The number of prescriptions dispensed in the community for benzodiazepines in England since 1980 is given in the tables. Data prior to 1980 are not available. Information about drugs prescribed and dispensed in hospitals is not available.
	
		Number of prescriptions dispensed in the community for benzodiazepines: 1980–2000—England -- Prescriptions (thousand)
		
			  1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 
		
		
			 Temazepam 1,014 1,709 2,431 2,896 3,378 5,133 5,802 6,242 6,129 5,946 5,985 
			 Diazepam 7,300 6,604 5,812 5,147 4,449 4,374 4,217 4,071 3,622 3,331 3,147 
			 Nitrazepam 7,362 6,910 6,596 5,912 5,368 5,001 4,657 4,383 3,850 3,523 3,188 
			 Lorazepam 2,033 2,487 2,928 2,957 2,736 2,590 2,607 2,395 1,756 1,452 1,227 
			 Chloridiazepoxide 1,834 1,694 1,516 1,294 1,112 1,007 893 816 697 604 548 
			 Oxazepam 587 675 654 612 561 609 646 621 511 406 399 
			 Lormelazepam — 32 163 346 442 122 160 191 194 169 163 
			 Clonazepam 40 48 55 72 77 93 99 107 111 111 127 
			 Loprazolam Mesylate — — — 2 50 19 71 125 127 144 160 
			 Clobazam 275 330 381 378 396 109 42 39 48 59 53 
			 Triazolam 402 795 855 782 906 1,200 1,468 1,576 1,635 1,530 1,513 
			 Alprazolam — — — 127 261 63 — — — — — 
			 Bromazepam — — 9 76 151 32 — — — — — 
			 Clorazepate Dipotassium 945 930 971 971 1,016 216 — — — — — 
			 Flunitrazepam — — 7 86 188 54 — — — — — 
			 Flurazepam Hydrochloride 1,885 1,833 1,860 1,700 1,628 376 — — — — — 
			 Ketazolam 37 105 135 138 118 27 — — — — — 
			 Medazepam 198 176 159 140 108 25 — — — — — 
			 Prazepam — — 12 55 55 12 — — — — — 
			  
			 Total 23,912 24,329 24,544 23,962 22,999 21,062 20,662 20,565 18,680 17,274 16,510 
			 Annual change (percentage) — 1.7 0.9 -2.4 -4.0 -8.4 -1.9 -0.5 -9.2 -7.5 -4.4 
		
	
	
		
			  1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Temazepam 6,428 6,914 6,651 6,345 6,063 5,540 5,252 5,043 4,878 4,697 
			 Diazepam 3,254 3,225 3,220 3,288 3,411 3,600 3,798 3,989 4,108 4,293 
			 Nitrazepam 3,186 3,074 2,902 2,721 2,582 2,539 2,426 2,333 2,210 2,095 
			 Lorazepam 1,137 1,018 932 867 818 785 758 743 728 715 
			 Chloridiazepoxide 542 503 467 449 438 428 423 414 402 384 
			 Oxazepam 378 352 328 311 300 304 306 300 289 272 
			 Lormelazepam 181 215 218 208 201 234 249 252 246 210 
			 Clonazepam 137 144 152 160 168 181 196 213 231 253 
			 Loprazolam Mesylate 195 239 230 219 213 221 215 211 200 191 
			 Clobazam 66 67 67 68 70 74 74 82 85 93 
			 Triazolam 1,123 — — — — — — — — — 
			 Alprazolam — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Bromazepam — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Clorazepate Dipotassium — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Flunitrazepam — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Flurazepam Hydrochloride — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Ketazolam — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Medazepam — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Prazepam — — — — — — — — — — 
			  
			 Total 16,626 15,751 15,167 14,638 14,266 13,905 13,698 13,580 13,378 13,204 
			 Annual change (percentage) — -5.3 -3.7 -3.5 -2.5 -2.5 -1.5 -0.9 -1.5 -1.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The prescription information was obtained from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. Please note that the data up to 1990 are not strictly consistent with data from 1991 onwards. Figures for 1980–90 are based on fees and on a sample of 1 in 200 prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Figures for 1991 onwards are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospital or private prescriptions.
	2. Benzodiazepines are those drugs defined within the British National Formulary sections 4.1.1, "Hypnotics", 4.1.2. "Anxiolytics", and 4.8. "Antiepileptics".

A and E

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the average waiting times in each accident and emergency unit in Oxfordshire in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available centrally.

Home Helps

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authority home helps there have been in each of the last 15 years.

Jacqui Smith: The number of home helps (excluding home help organisers) employed by local authorities in England in each of the last 15 years is in the table. Details of the number of contact hours of home help/home care and the households receiving this care are available in the publication "Community Care Statistics 2000: Home help/home care services for adults, England" available at www.doh.gov.uk/stats/hh2000.htm.
	
		Home helps at 30 September -- whole time equivalent
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1985(1) 51,959 
			 1986(1) 53,706 
			 1987(1) 56,336 
			 1988(1) 57,004 
			 1989(1) 56,613 
			 1990(1) 55,805 
			 1991(1) 54,708 
			 1992(1) 54,254 
			 1993 50,744 
			 1994 52,683 
			 1995 49,811 
			 1996 47,750 
			 1997 46,316 
			 1998 42,883 
			 1999 39,774 
			 2000 35,285 
		
	
	(1) Figures prior to 1993 include family aides staff.
	Source:
	Department of Health staffing return SSDS001

Depleted Uranium

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the United Kingdom academic research groups with experience in reviewing the risks associated with depleted uranium.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 24 November 2001
	The Department knows of four academic groups which have been active in reviewing the risks from depleted uranium, the Royal Society Depleted Uranium Working Group, the British Geological Survey, the University of Bristol Department of Earth Sciences and the Southampton Oceanic Centre.

Strokes (Risk)

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the increased risk of strokes among members of (a) Asian and (b) African-Caribbean ethnic groups; and what plans he has to commission further research.

Jacqui Smith: The 1999 Health Survey for England commissioned by the Department investigated the health of minority ethnic groups. This found that after adjusting for age, rates of stroke among black Caribbean men were over two-thirds higher than in the general population. Indian men also had higher rates than the general population. Among women, Chines women had low rates of stroke, while all other groups did not differ significantly from the general population. Details of the survey can be found at: http//www.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ survey99/houses-00.htm.
	The Department has funded a number of literature reviews on ethnicity and health, carried out by the national health service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD), University of York. One of the reviews looked at stroke in south Asian and African-Caribbean groups. This concluded that south Asian and Afro-Caribbean populations experience significantly raised rates of cardiovascular disease. In particular south Asian groups are at higher risk of coronary heart disease, and Afro- Caribbeans are at greater risk of stroke. The details of these reviews can be found on the CRD website at: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/welcome.htm.
	The Department is currently funding a study entitled 'The South London Stroke Register: The Incidence, Outcome and Ethnic differences of aetiological subtypes of stroke'. This study will compare incidence of stroke between ethnic groups and compare survival, recurrence and functional status between subtypes and ethnic groups.
	The Department has no specific plans to commission further research in this area, but stroke will continue to be considered as one of the priorities within the developing research and development strategy that supports the National Service Framework for Older People.

Ministerial Visit (Buckingham)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to visit the Buckingham constituency to meet patients.

Hazel Blears: Ministers have no plans to visit the Buckingham constituency at present.

Ritalin

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for Ritalin have been issued in each year since 1992.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is in the table.
	
		Number of prescription items and net ingredient cost of methylphenidate hydrochloride dispensed in the community, 1992 to 2000 -- England
		
			  Year Prescription items (Thousand) Net ingredient cost (£000) 
		
		
			 1992 2.6 16.5 
			 1993 3.5 25.7 
			 1994 6.0 52.3 
			 1995 14.7 253.0 
			 1996 47.9 811.7 
			 1997 92.1 1,636.5 
			 1998 126.6 2,402.8 
			 1999 158.0 3,100.3 
			 2000 186.2 3,757.6 
		
	
	Notes
	1. The data cover all prescriptions dispensed in the community, ie by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England.
	2. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospital or private prescriptions.
	3. The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug and does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.

Smoking Cessation

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the budget for smoking cessation services from April 2002.

Jacqui Smith: Decisions on the level of funding for smoking cessation services in 2002–03 form part of the work on health authority allocations. An announcement on health authority allocations for 2002–03 will be made shortly.
	The NHS Plan sets out the provision of a comprehensive smoking cessation service. The success of this programme will mean that by 2010, at least 1.5 million smokers will have given up smoking.

Smoking Cessation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to support (a) smoking cessation campaigns and (b) campaigns to divert smokers into less dangerous ways of ingesting nicotine.

Jacqui Smith: We will continue to use publicity campaigns designed to persuade smokers to give up. This publicity forms part of a comprehensive strategy including national telephone helplines and local cessation support which can include the provision of nicotine replacement therapy where appropriate. Nicotine is an addictive substance and we have no plans to encourage its use other than in the controlled circumstances of smoking cessation.

Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the patient advocacy and liaison services that exist.

Hazel Blears: A list of current patients advice and liaison services is as follows:
	Patient advice and liaison services—list of pathfinders as at 22 November 2001
	Addenbrooke's NHS Trust
	Ashford and St. Peter's NHS Trust
	Ashford PCG
	Barts and the London NHS Trust
	Bassetlaw Hospital
	Bath and NE Somerset PCT
	Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust
	Bexhill and Rother PCT
	Birmingham Specialist Community Trust
	Birmingham Women's Healthcare Trust
	Bishop Auckland General Hospital
	Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust
	Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust
	Bootle and Litherland PCT
	Bournemouth PCT, Poole Bay PCT, Poole Central and North PCT and Dorset Ambulance Trust
	Brighton and Hove PCG
	Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust
	Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust
	City Hospital Trust
	City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust
	Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Trust
	County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust
	Craven PCG
	Crawley PCG
	Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT
	Dartford, Gravesham NHS Trust
	Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust
	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust
	Easington PCG
	East Cheshire NHS Trust
	East Devon PCT
	East Gloucestershire Trust
	East Kent Hospitals Trust
	Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust
	Eastbourne Hospital NHS Trust
	Eastern Wakefield PCT
	Epping Forest PCT
	Exeter PCT
	Fenland PCT
	Frimley Park NHS Trust
	Gateshead Health NHS Trust Education Centre
	George Eliot Hospital and Warwickshire Ambulance Trust
	Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust
	Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust
	Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust
	Hambleton and Richmondshire PCG
	Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust
	Hartlepool NHS PCT
	Hastings and Rother NHS Trust
	Heatherwood and Wrexham Park NHS Trust
	Herefordshire PCT
	High Weald PCG
	Hillingdon PCT
	Homerton Hospital NHS Trust
	Hull and East Yorkshire Community Health NHS Trust
	Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust
	Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust
	King's Healthcare NHS Trust
	Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
	Langbaurgh PCT
	Luton and Dunstable Hospital
	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells
	Manchester Mental Health Partnership
	Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
	Medway and Swale PCG
	Medway Maritime Hospital
	Mid Surrey, East Elmbridge and East Surrey PCGs
	Mid Sussex NHS Trust
	Middlesbrough and Eston NHS PCG
	Milton Keynes Central Hospital
	Newham PCT
	North Bristol Trust
	North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	North Durham Healthcare NHS Trust
	North East Lincolnshire PCT
	North East London Mental Health NHS Trust
	North Hampshire Hospital NHS Trust
	North Hants PCT
	North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust
	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust
	North Tees NHS PCT
	Northallerton Trust
	Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
	Northern and Yorks Region Learning Alliance
	Northern General Hospital
	Northumberland Mental Health Trust
	Nottinghamshire Health Authority
	Nuffield Orthopaedic NHS Trust
	Ouse Valley PCG
	Oxford Learning Disabilities Trust
	Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust
	Oxleas NHS Trust
	Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust
	Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals NHS Trust
	Plymouth PCT
	Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Preston Acute Hospital NHS Trust
	Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
	Priority Healthcare Wearside NHS Trust
	Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
	Royal Devon and Exeter Trust
	Royal Hallamshire Hospital
	Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Surrey County NHS Trust
	Royal United Hospital Bath
	Rushmoor and Hart PCG
	Salisbury Healthcare Trust
	Scarborough and NE Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust
	Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCG
	Selby and District A.V.S.
	Sheffield Health Authority
	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
	Shropshire Hospitals
	Slough PCT
	Somerset Health Community PALS
	South Buckinghamshire Trust
	South Derbyshire Acute NHS Trust
	South Devon Healthcare Trust
	South Downs Health NHS Trust
	South Humber Health Authority
	South London and Maudsley Mental Health NHS Trust
	South Manchester University Hospital Trust
	South Stoke PCT
	South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Tyneside Health Care Trust
	South Wiltshire PCT
	Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Southern Derbyshire Community and Mental Health Trust
	St. Catherine's Hospital
	St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust
	St. Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust
	St. Mary's House
	St. Richards Hospital, Chichester
	Stepping Hill Hospital
	Stockport NHS Trust
	Sunderland West NHS PCT
	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
	Surrey Hants Borders Mental Health
	Surrey Oaklands NHS Trust
	Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust
	Swindon and Marlborough Trust
	Tees and NE Yorks NHS Trust
	Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service
	Teeside and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service
	Thames Gateway NHS Trust
	The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust
	The Walton Centre
	Tower Hamlets PCT
	Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust
	United Bristol Hospitals Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHS Trust
	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
	Vale of Aylesbury PCT
	Wakefield and Pontefract Community Healthcare NHS Trust
	Wakefield West PCT
	Walsall Hospitals Trust
	West Hertfordshire NHS Trust
	West Kent Mental Health Trust
	West Norfolk PCT
	West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust
	West Sussex Partnership Trust
	West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust
	Whittington Hospitals NHS Trust
	Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust
	Worthing and Southlands Hospital NHS
	Wythenshawe Health Centre
	York Health Services NHS Trust.

Hyperbaric Disorders

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many English patients were treated in Scotland for hyperbaric disorders in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: Information on English patients treated in Scotland for hyperbaric disorders is not collected centrally.

Hospital Cleanliness Audit

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what was the score for each element in the external audit of cleanliness for each NHS hospital;
	(2)  if he will publish the external audit of cleanliness for each NHS hospital in each of the 14 specified elements.

Hazel Blears: On 31 October 2001, the Department published the results of the most recent assessments of cleanliness for national health service hospitals. These results reflect the overall standard of the patient environment. The publication of these results is in line with the commitment we gave in the NHS plan to place this information in the public domain.
	The score for each element of the external audit of cleanliness for NHS hospitals has been reported to the NHS trusts concerned. The scores must be interpreted in the context of the written recommendations of the patient environment action teams (PEATs). The publication of the score for each individual element alone will not provide a rounded assessment of standards within each hospital.
	NHS trusts are still working to complete the implementation of their 2001–02 patient environment action plans and we expect to see continued improvements throughout the coming months. NHS trusts must incorporate the recommendations of the PEATs within their existing patient environment action plans, as a means of delivering further improvements. These improvements will be reflected in raised scores for each element of the inspection process by April 2002.

Glivec

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pending the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's appraisal of Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia patients, what guidance he has given health authorities on prescribing Glivec (a) to those who have been on Novartis' extended access programme, (b) to those who are on the current trial of the drug and (c) to those who have been diagnosed with CML recently and fall under neither (a) or (b).

Jacqui Smith: A letter about the future provision of Glivec, agreed by Ministers and signed by both Neil McKay, the chief operating officer, and Professor Mike Richards, the national cancer director, was sent on 24 October to all national health service regional directors.
	Novartis, the manufacturers of Glivec, are making a limited free supply available for those patients on the Extended Access Programme (EAP). It will then be for health authorities and trust to discuss the funding of the treatment. However, as the letter of 24 October makes clear, there is no question of treatment being withdrawn from patients on funding grounds once EAP supplies end. Treatment should cease only on clinical grounds.
	Those patients involved in trials of Glivec will continue to have their treatments funded by Novartis.
	For new patients, as with all newly licensed treatments in advance of a NICE appraisal, the Department's advice is that funding authorities should consider the clinical evidence available for a specific treatment before making any decision.
	It is expected that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) will publish guidance on Glivec in August 2002.

Emergency Admissions (North-west)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage change in emergency admissions has occurred in NHS trusts in the north-west between 2000 and 2001 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: In the first seven months of 2001, there was an increase of 0.3 per cent. in emergency admissions in national health service trusts in the north-west region compared with the same period in the previous year.

Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list those public bodies to which his Department appoints members and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000;
	(2)  if he will list those public bodies which are the responsibility of his Department and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000.

Hazel Blears: Public Bodies 2000 sets out the information on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), certain public corporations (including nationalised industries) and national health service bodies. There are four types of NDPB: executive NDPBs; advisory NDPBs; tribunal NDPBs; and boards of visitors to penal establishments. The next edition of Public Bodies will be published around the end of the year. Information about task forces, annual reports and ad hoc advisory groups is set out in the annual report, published by the Cabinet Office. Copies of Public Bodies 2000 are in the Library and this publication may be accessed via the Cabinet Office's website (http:/www.official-documents.co.uk/document/ caboff/pb00.htm). Copies of the annual report on task forces and similar bodies have also been placed in the Library and the annual report is also being made available on the Cabinet Office's website.
	The following public bodies have been established since the publication of Public Bodies 2000. All the bodies listed are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State who is responsible for all the public appointments made to their boards.
	Advisory NDPBs
	Advisory Committee on Tissue Banking
	Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy
	Independent Review Panel on the Classification of Borderline Medicines
	Social Care Institute for Excellence
	Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance
	Executive NDPBs
	General Social Care Council
	Tribunal NDPBs
	Prescription Price Control Tribunal
	Special Health Authorities
	Health Development Agency (replacing the Health Education Authority)
	National Care Standards Commission
	National Clinical Assessment Authority
	National Patient Safety Agency
	National Treatment Agency
	National Health Service Appointments Commission
	Retained Organs Commission.
	The Department is also responsible for local NHS trusts, health authorities, and primary care trusts, individual details of which are not listed in Public Bodies. Non-executive appointments to these bodies are now a matter for the NHS Appointments commission. Details of all these local NHS bodies as at 1 April 2000, including their non-executive members, are given in the Department of Health Public Appointments Annual Report, a copy of which is in the Library. A copy of the 2001 Public Appointments Annual Report, giving information as at 1 April 2001, will be sent to all hon. Members as soon as it is available. 14 NHS trusts and 25 primary care trusts have been established since 1 April 2001.

Nurses

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the health service spent on hiring agency nursing staff (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS trust, in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98, (iv) 1998–99, (vi) 1999–2000 and (vi) 2000–01; and what the figures were at the latest date for which figures are available.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	The tables contain data that outline the expenditure on non-national health service nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff (by NHS trust, health authority and primary care trust) in England, 1995–96 to 2000–01. The non-NHS staff figures include all nurses, midwives and health visiting staff not directly employed by the trusts. We are unable to disaggregate agency nurses. The 2000–01 figures are the latest available and are provisional.

Nurses

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) NHS employed and (b) agency nurses were employed on the Isle of Wight in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2001;
	(2)  how much money was spent on agency nurses on the Isle of Wight in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001.

Hazel Blears: The number of national health service nurses employed by the Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust is as follows:
	
		NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff within the Isle of Wight health authority area as at 30 September each year
		
			 Year Whole time equivalents 
		
		
			 1997 570 
			 1998 600 
			 1999 630 
			 2000 670 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	2. Figures exclude learners and agency staff
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
	2001 data are not yet available.
	Information is not collected centrally on the numbers of agency nurses used or the cost incurred.

Nurses

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing vacancies there are in the NHS in the Buckingham constituency.

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing vacancies there are in the NHS in Arundel and South Downs.

Hazel Blears: The information is not available in the format requested. Private Hospitals

Nurses

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS in-patients were treated in private hospitals in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001 on the Isle of Wight; and what was the respective yearly cost to the NHS of the treatment.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available centrally.

Tuberculosis

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with tuberculosis in the Buckingham constituency in each year since 1990.

Hazel Blears: Information on statutory notifications of tuberculosis (excluding chemoprophylaxis) is available from the Public Health Laboratory Service.
	The Department collects information on tuberculosis as part of the hospital episode statistics (HES) system, which contains details of patients admitted to and treated in national health service hospitals in England. The numbers of patients in Buckinghamshire health authority are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1990–91 24 
			 1991–92 44 
			 1992–93 51 
			 1993–94 34 
			 1994–95 27 
			 1995–96 21 
			 1996–97 21 
			 1997–98 20 
			 1998–99 21 
			 1999–2000 33 
			 2000–01 26 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A finished consultant episode is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider.
	2. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within a year.
	3. The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis field in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	4. The table uses ICD9 codes: 010–018 (1990–91 to 1994–95) and ICD10 codes A15-A19 (1995–96 to 2000–01).
	5. Data in this table are grossed for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data, except for 1998–99 to 2000–01 which are ungrossed.
	Source:
	Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) Department of Health

MMR Inoculations

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children aged (a) one to two, (b) two to three and (c) three to four years have been given MMR inoculations in the Arundel and South Downs constituency.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children aged (a) one to two, (b) two to three and (c) three to four years have been given MMR inoculations in the Buckingham constituency.

Hazel Blears: The information available about children immunised against measles, mumps and rubella is contained in the Statistical Bulletin "NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2000–01". A copy of the bulletin is in the Library and can also be found on the Department of Health website www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0121.htm.

MRSA

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is (a) the level in the last 12 months and (b) the trend of the incidence of MRSA; what the average incidence per trust area has been in the last five years; which six trust areas have the highest and at what level of incidence; what action is being taken to tackle MRSA (i) in the above average trusts and (ii) generally; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Information is not available in the format requested.
	The tables give aggregate data on trends and numbers of incidents of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) voluntarily submitted by national health service trusts for specialist microbiological tests since 1995. These data are currently available on a regional basis only. Data on staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias (blood infections) showing the proportion resistant to methicillin in England and Wales are published quarterly by the Public Health Laboratory Service in the Communicable Disease Report. Copies are available in the Library.
	More comprehensive information about bacteraemias, including MRSA, has been collected from all acute trusts since 1 April 2001 and this will be published showing individual trust data from 1 April 2002.
	Instructions to the NHS have been issued to ensure that hospital acquired infection is being tackled throughout the organisation. All acute trusts are required to adhere to national standards for infection control and to have specialist infection control teams whose primary responsibility is for all aspects of surveillance, prevention and control of hospital infection including MRSA.
	Evidence based, multi-professional guidelines on the general principles for preventing hospital acquired infection were developed with the support of the Department and were published in January this year.
	
		Incidents of MRSA between 1995–2000
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 
		
		
			 Anglia and Oxford 142 237 297 223 
			 North Thames 566 539 544 289 
			 North West 65 176 259 215 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 90 150 224 202 
			 South and West 80 206 254 101 
			 South Thames 377 421 385 220 
			 Trent 52 99 123 109 
			 West Midlands 128 121 102 69 
			 Wales 116 158 176 169 
			  
			 Total 1,616 2,107 2,364 1,597 
		
	
	
		
			  1999 2000 
		
		
			 Eastern 80 60 
			 London 290 170 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 170 70 
			 North West 180 90 
			 South East 170 100 
			 South West 40 10 
			 Trent 100 30 
			 West Midlands 30 50 
			 Wales 130 40 
			  
			 Total 1,190 620 
		
	
	Notes:
	For 1995 and 1996 and the first half of 1997 data have been amalgamated to the approximate boundaries of the new regional office areas. This allows for comparison with subsequent years.
	An incident is three or more patients infected or colonised by the same strain of MRSA in the same month from the same hospital.
	The criteria for submission of isolates of MRSA (and other isolates of staphylococcus aureus) to the PHLS for specialist tests have been revised twice since 1996 (in January 1998 and in January 2000).
	These revised criteria have led to a fall in the number of incidents of MRSA that were reported to the PHLS.

Volunteers' Charter

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a volunteers' charter to address the rights of volunteers.

Jacqui Smith: We already have in place an agreement to respect and promote the rights of volunteers under the Volunteering Code of Good Practice. This code forms part of the Compact agreement between all Government Departments and the voluntary sector. The code was launched in October 2001 and the Department is represented on the implementation group. This group recently met for the first time to agree on methods for the promotion of the principles and good practice set out in the code.

Health Spending

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis his Department has calculated the European average for health spending as a percentage of GDP; and what are the relevant figures for each country.

John Hutton: The European average is calculated using the arithmetic mean of the member countries health expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product. The relevant figures are provided in the table for the most recent data available.
	
		Total expenditure on health
		
			 1998 Percentage gross domestic product 
		
		
			 Austria 8 
			 Belgium 8.6 
			 Denmark 8.3 
			 Finland 6.9 
			 France 9.3 
			 Germany 10.3 
			 Greece 8.4 
			 Ireland 6.8 
			 Italy 7.7 
			 Luxembourg 6 
			 Netherlands 8.7 
			 Portugal 7.7 
			 Spain 7 
			 Sweden 7.9 
			 United Kingdom 6.8 
		
	
	Source:
	Copyright OECD health data 2001

Health Spending

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what figures for expenditure on health care in the UK from different sources his Department bases its figures for health spending as a percentage of GDP.

John Hutton: Total expenditure on health care in the United Kingdom as a percentage of gross domestic product is based on the following.
	(i) UK gross NHS expenditure in cash terms—based on figures from the Department of Health and the devolved Administrations,
	(ii) Private health care expenditure—projections based on data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and,
	(iii) Gross domestic product on a cash basis—provided by Her Majesty's Treasury.

Registered General Practitioners (Criminal Convictions)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require registered practitioners in England and Wales to disclose any criminal conviction in any jurisdiction.

John Hutton: Regulations under sections 29A, 29B and 43D of the National Health Service Act 1977 were made, and laid before the House, on 22 November 2001 that will require general medical services general practitioners in England to disclose all criminal convictions anywhere in the world.
	The regulations are:
	the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Amendment (no. 4) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 3742);
	the National Health Service (General Medical Services Supplementary List) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 3740).
	Similar measures will be introduced for doctors in personal medical services pilots shortly.
	General practitioners in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

WORK AND PENSIONS

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the number of people eligible for new deal 50 plus who are also entitled to claim the employment credit;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the number of people eligible for new deal 50 plus.

Nick Brown: We estimate that over 3 million people are eligible for new deal 50 plus. Those who move into work and have an overall gross income of under £15,000 per annum, having been on an eligible benefit for six months or more, will be eligible for the employment credit. In the first 18 months of national operation over 51,000 people went back to work with the help of the employment credit.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what campaigns have been undertaken to promote awareness of the new deal 50 plus among employers;
	(2)  what campaigns have been undertaken to encourage greater participation in the new deal 50 plus.

Nick Brown: We are currently building on last autumn's successful new deal 50 plus TV advertising campaign with a regional and local marketing campaign. Provisions are made within local budgets for strategic and innovative campaigns, and activities include local/ regional press advertising, mailshots, and Jobsfairs.
	In addition, people who are over 50 and registered unemployed for six months or more will have new deal 50 plus drawn to their attention through their Jobcentre. New incapacity benefit claimants receive a mailshot about the programme when they become eligible.
	We are also developing proposals to increase the participation of employers on new deal 50 plus through the involvement of organisations from various employment sectors.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many new deal 50 plus participants are in receipt of the employment credit; and how many new credits have been recorded in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on progress with the new deal 50 plus;
	(3)  how many people receive support from the new deal 50 plus; and how many starts to the scheme have been recorded in each of the last 12 months.

Nick Brown: The new deal 50 plus blend of personal advice, jobsearch help and in-work financial support has proved very successful at helping people over 50 move off benefits and back into work.
	Starts on the programme are currently measured by the number of people who have moved into work and claimed the programme's in-work financial support, the employment credit. In the first 18 months of its national operation over 51,000 people have returned to work with the help of the employment credit. Currently we estimate that over 30,000 people are in receipt of the credit. Many people will also have benefited from the advice and jobsearch help that is available through the programme, although numbers are not available at present.
	The numbers of employment credit starts for each of the last twelve months are in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 October 2000 3,285 
			 November 2000 3,403 
			 December 2000 2,664 
			 January 2001 2,186 
			 February 2001 2,717 
			 March 2001 3,284 
			 April 2001 2,605 
			 May 2001 3,293 
			 June 2001 3,203 
			 July 2001 2,921 
			 August 2001 3,163 
			 September 2001 3,011

Breast Feeding Mothers

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits and allowances are available to breast-feeding mothers; and what plans he has to introduce further measures targeted at this group.

Malcolm Wicks: There is a wide range of benefits which may be available to all new mothers including maternity benefit, child benefit and income support.
	We are improving maternity benefits as part of our drive to help women achieve a better balance between paid work and their family life. Statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance will be raised to £75 a week from April 2002. In 2003 the payments will be increased further to £100 a week and the payment period will be extended from 18 to 26 weeks.
	Sure Start maternity grants are also available to mothers, or their partners, who receive qualifying benefits. These grants are currently worth up to three times as much as the maternity payments they replaced and provide more help to the neediest families. We have announced a further increase in the grant from next April to £500 for each child.
	Since 1997 the rate of child benefit has increased by 26 per cent. in real terms. The current rates from April 2001 are £15.50 for the first child and £10.35 for all other children.

Benefit Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which report by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate was (a) most satisfactory and (b) least satisfactory with respect to the Government's housing benefit policies.

Malcolm Wicks: It is not possible to identify individual local authorities in this way. Inspections have revealed that each authority has a mixture of strengths and weaknesses across a wide range of different administrative and counter-fraud activities. Inspections can vary in approach according to the circumstances of each local authority. The information available in the reports does not, therefore, enable such comparisons to be made.

Housing Benefit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial support is available to local authorities which experience a significant rise in housing benefit administrative costs as a consequence of large scale redundancies.

Malcolm Wicks: The amount of subsidy paid to each authority is calculated annually using a formula agreed in consultation with the local authority associations. The formula takes account of the caseload and complexity of housing benefit cases, with elements for accommodation and staffing costs. Once annual allocations have been set, they cannot be altered in-year. However, any changes in caseload would be reflected in the following year's allocation.

Housing Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which 20 local authorities took the longest to pay housing benefit in the UK in the last three years; and what was the average lengths of time it took these local authorities to pay.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The information is not available.

Housing Benefit

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many local authority housing benefit managers he has met since he took responsibility for housing benefit;
	(2)  how many visits he has made to local authority housing benefit offices since he took responsibility for housing benefit.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 November 2001
	Information is not available in the format requested. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and other Ministers meet periodically with housing benefit managers at conferences and on visits to individual local authorities. Such recent occasions have included question and answer sessions at conferences hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing (June 2001) and the Institute of Ratings Revenue and Valuation (February and October 2001). Visits have also been made to the London Boroughs of Camden, Hackney and Croydon housing benefit departments. Further visits are being planned.

Pensioners (Buckingham)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to visit the Buckingham constituency to meet pensioners.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit the Buckinghamshire constituency in the near future, but we do meet pensioners regularly in the course of our duties.

Severe Disability Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out from the first quarter of 1998–99 to the most recent figures available (a) how many people were awaiting an appeal for severe disability allowance at the end of each quarter, (b) the average time it took to process the appeal and (c) the average time it took to process the original claim.

Maria Eagle: The number of appeals outstanding for severe disablement allowance at the end of the first quarter of 1998–99 to the first quarter of 2001–02 are shown in table 1:
	
		Table 1
		
			  Year/quarter Number of appeal outstanding at the end of each quarter 
		
		
			 1998–99  
			 1 1,569 
			 2 1,613 
			 3 1,508 
			 4 1,347 
			   
			 1999–2000  
			 1 761 
			 2 932 
			 3 623 
			 4 711 
			   
			 2000–01  
			 1 775 
			 2 855 
			 3 735 
			 4 712 
			   
			 2001–02  
			 1 716 
		
	
	Note:
	All figures are provisional
	Source:
	100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.
	The average times in weeks from lodgement of a severe disablement allowance appeal with the Benefits Agency to the appeal being decided from the end of the first quarter of 1998–99 to the first quarter of 2001–02 is shown in table 2:
	
		Table 2
		
			  Time in weeks from:  
			 Year/quarter lodgement of the appeal with the Benefits Agency to the appeal being received by the Appeals Service receipt of the appeal by the Appeals Service to the appeal being heard at tribunal for the first time the appeal being heard for the first time at tribunal to the appeal being decided(2) Overall "end-to-end" clearance time in weeks 
		
		
			 1998–99 
			 1 11 26 26 37 
			 2 7 26 27 34 
			 3 7 27 30 37 
			 4 7 25 28 35 
			  
			 1999–2000 
			 1 11 31 36 47 
			 2 12 20 26 38 
			 3 14 23 32 46 
			 4 13 22 33 46 
			  
			 2000–01 
			 1 12 16 23 35 
			 2 13 15 21 34 
			 3 12 16 22 34 
			 4 11 15 21 32 
			  
			 2001–02 
			 1 11 15 22 32 
		
	
	(2) Includes appeals, which have been adjourned.
	Note:
	All figures are provisional
	Source:
	100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.
	The average time in working days taken to process a severe disablement allowance claim for the period from the end of the first quarter of 1998–99 to the second quarter of 2001–02 is shown in table 3:
	
		Table 3
		
			  Year/quarter Number of working days taken to process a claim for severe disablement allowance 
		
		
			 1998–99  
			 1 64 
			 2 57 
			 3 58 
			 4 56 
			   
			 1999–2000  
			 1 62 
			 2 68 
			 3 66 
			 4 65 
			   
			 2000–01  
			 1 64 
			 2 60 
			 3 63 
			 4 69 
			   
			 2001–02(3)  
			 1 76 
			 2 104 
		
	
	(3) Severe disablement allowance ceased to be payable as a new benefit from April 2001.
	Notes:
	1. All figures are provisional.
	2. All data from Central Data Unit.

Preserved Rights Residents

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 145W, on preserved rights residents, if he will give comparable figures for the last three years for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the tables.
	
		Income support claimants with preserved rights in residential care/nursing homes as at May 1998
		
			   All preserved rights cases  Residential care  Nursing homes  
			  Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage 
		
		
			 All cases 103.7 100.0 59.3 100.0 35.1 100.0 
			 Fees equal to or below IS 57.8 57.1 38.6 56.3 19.2 54.6 
			 Fees above IS 45.9 44.3 30.0 43.7 15.9 45.4 
			
			 of which above IS by:   
			 £0.01 to £14.44(4) 16.4 15.8 8.1 11.9 8.3 23.6 
			 £14.45-£20.00 3.5 3.4 2.2 3.2 1.3 3.6 
			 £20.01-£30.00 4.3 4.1 2.7 4.0 1.6 4.4 
			 £30.01-£40.00 4.0 3.9 2.7 3.9 1.3 3.7 
			 £40.01-£50.00 2.2 2.1 1.4 2.1 0.7 2.1 
			 £50.01-£60.00 1.6 1.6 1.1 1.6 0.5 1.4 
			 £60.01-£70.00 1.4 1.3 1.0 1.4 (5)0.4 (5)1.1 
			 £70.01 and over 12.6 12.1 10.7 15.6 1.9 5.4 
			
			 of which:   
			 £70.01-£80.00 1.4 1.3 1.1 1.7 (5)0.2 (5)0.6 
			 £80.01-£90.00 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.8 (5)0.2 (5)0.6 
			 £90.01-£100.00 1.0 0.9 0.7 1.1 (5)0.2 (5)0.6 
			 £100.01-£110.00 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.8 (5)0.2 (5)0.5 
			 £110.01-£120.00 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.8 (5)0.1 (5)0.2 
			 £120.01 and over 8.2 7.9 7.2 10.5 1.0 2.9 
		
	
	(4) Below the personal expenses allowance of £14.45
	(5) Are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a rough guide to the current situation only
	Note:
	1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
	2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 and are expressed in thousands.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 1998.
	
		Income support claimants with preserved rights in residential care/nursing homes as at May 1999
		
			   All preserved rights cases  Residential care  Nursing homes  
			  Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage 
		
		
			 All cases 86.3 100.0 58.3 100.0 26.9 100.0 
			 Fees equal to or below IS 49.2 56.1 33.4 56.3 15.8 58.8 
			 Fees above IS 37.0 42.9 25.9 43.7 11.1 41.2 
			 of which above IS by:   
			 £0.01 to £14.74(6) 11.6 13.5 6.6 11.2 5.0 18.6 
			 £14.75-£20.00 2.8 3.3 1.7 2.8 1.1 4.2 
			 £20.01-£30.00 3.8 4.4 2.3 3.9 1.4 5.3 
			 £30.01-£40.00 2.7 3.1 2.0 3.4 0.6 2.4 
			 £40.01-£50.00 1.9 2.2 1.4 2.3 0.6 2.1 
			 £50.01-£60.00 1.2 1.4 0.8 1.3 (7)0.4 (7)1.5 
			 £60.01-£70.00 1.3 1.5 0.9 1.6 (7)0.3 (7)1.3 
			 £70.01 and over 11.7 13.6 10.2 17.1 1.5 5.7 
			
			 of which:   
			 £70.01-£80.00 1.0 1.1 0.8 1.4 (7)0.1 (7)0.5 
			 £80.01-£90.00 1.1 1.3 0.9 1.6 (7)0.2 (7)0.7 
			 £90.01-£100.00 0.7 0.8 0.6 1.0 (7)0.1 (7)0.3 
			 £100.01-£110.00 (7)0.4 (7)0.4 (7)0.3 (7)0.5 (8)— (8)— 
			 £110.01-£120.00 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.8 (8)0.1 (8)0.5 
			 £120.01 and over 7.9 9.2 7.0 11.8 0.9 3.5 
		
	
	(6) Below the personal expenses allowance of £14.75
	(7) Are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a rough guide to the current situation only
	(8) Denotes nil or negligible
	Note:
	1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
	2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 and are expressed in thousands.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 1999.
	
		Income support claimants with preserved rights in residential care/nursing homes as at May 2000
		
			   All preserved rights cases  Residential care  Nursing homes  
			  Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage 
		
		
			 All cases 74.3 100.0 52.7 100.0 21.6 100.0 
			 Fees equal to or below IS 40.2 54.1 27.6 52.4 12.6 58.4 
			 Fees above IS 34.1 45.9 25.1 47.6 9.0 41.6 
			
			 of which above IS by:   
			 £0.01 to £15.44(9) 11.1 15.0 7.0 13.2 4.2 19.3 
			 £15.45-£20.00 2.1 2.9 1.1 2.0 1.0 4.8 
			 £20.01-£30.00 2.9 4.0 2.0 3.9 0.9 4.2 
			 £30.01-£40.00 2.4 3.2 2.0 3.8 (10)0.3 (10)1.6 
			 £40.01-£50.00 1.4 1.9 0.9 1.8 (10)0.5 (10)2.2 
			 £50.01-£60.00 1.2 1.6 1.0 1.8 (10)0.2 (10)0.9 
			 £60.01-£70.00 1.2 1.6 0.9 1.7 (10)0.3 (10)1.5 
			 £70.01 and over 11.8 15.8 10.2 19.4 1.5 7.1 
			
			 of which:   
			 £70.01-£80.00 0.9 1.2 0.7 1.3 (10)0.2 (10)0.7 
			 £80.01-£90.00 1.1 1.5 0.9 1.8 (10)0.2 (10)0.7 
			 £90.01-£100.00 0.6 0.8 0.5 1.0 (10)0.1 (10)0.4 
			 £100.01-£110.00 (10)0.5 (10)0.6 (10)0.4 (10)0.7 (10)0.7 (10)0.4 
			 £110.01-£120.00 0.5 0.7 (10)0.4 (10)0.8 (10)0.1 (10)0.6 
			 £120.01 and over 8.2 11.1 7.3 13.8 0.9 4.3 
		
	
	(9) Below the personal expenses allowance of £15.45
	(10) Are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a rough guide to the current situation only
	Note:
	1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
	2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 and are expressed in thousands.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 2000.

Preserved Rights Residents

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 145W, on preserved rights residents, if he will give figures on the same basis for top-ups of (a) £70.01 to £80, (b) £80.01 to £90, (c) £90.01 to £100, (d) £100.01 to £110, (e) £110.01 to £120 and (f) £120.01 and over.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Income support claimants with preserved rights in residential care/nursing homes as at May 2001 
		
			   All preserved rights cases  Residential care  Nursing homes  
			   Number (Thousand) Percentage Number (Thousand) Percentage Number (Thousand) Percentage 
		
		
			 All cases 65.1 100.0 47.6 100 17.4 100 
			 Fees equal to or below IS 35.2 54.1 24.8 52.1 10.4 59.4 
			 Fees above IS 29.9 45.9 22.8 47.9 7.1 40.6 
			 Of which above IS by:   
			 £0.01 to £16.04(11) 8.3 12.7 5.1 10.8 3.1 18.0 
			 £16.05 to £20.00 1.8 2.8 1.4 3.0 (12)0.4 (12)2.3 
			 £20.01 to £30.00 2.6 4.1 1.9 3.9 0.8 4.5 
			 £30.01 to £40.00 2.1 3.2 1.6 3.4 (12)0.5 (12)2.6 
			 £40.01 to £50.00 1.2 1.9 0.8 1.7 (12)0.4 (12)2.5 
			 £50.01 to £60.00 1.1 1.7 0.9 1.9 (12)0.2 (12)0.9 
			 £60.01 to £70.00 1.0 1.5 0.8 1.6 (12)0.2 (12)1.3 
			 £70.01 to £80.00 1.1 1.7 0.9 1.8 (12)0.2 (12)1.3 
			 £80.01 to £90.00 0.7 1.1 0.6 1.3 (12)0.1 (12)0.6 
			 £90.01 to £100.00 0.5 0.8 (12)0.4 (12)0.8 (12)0.1 (12)0.6 
			 £100.01 to £110.00 0.6 0.9 0.5 1.0 (12)0.1 (12)0.6 
			 £110.01 to £120.00 (12)0.5 (12)0.7 (12)0.3 (12)0.7 (12)0.1 (12)0.7 
			 £120.01 and over 8.4 13.0 7.6 16.0 0.8 4.8 
		
	
	(11) Below the personal expenses allowance of £16.05.
	(12) Subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a rough guide to the current situation only.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
	2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 2001

Income-related Benefits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those on income related benefits are subject to the tariff incomes schedule; and what plans he has to review the coverage of the schedule.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table:
	
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 Income Support (IS) (including Minimum Income Guarantee) 136,000 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance (income-based) (JSA(IB)) 9,000 
			 Housing Benefit (HB) only 20,000 
			 Council Tax Benefit (CTB) only 170,000 
			 HB and CTB 170,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	2. IS and JSA(IB) figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
	3. HB and CTB figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
	4. Of those receiving IS and JSA(IB), 10,000 were also receiving HB, 50,000 were receiving CTB and 60,000 were receiving both HB and CTB.
	5. HB/CTB figures refer to households, which may be a single person, a couple or a family.
	Sources:
	IS Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 2000.
	JSA Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 2000.
	HB and CTB Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, May 2000.
	We keep the rules on the treatment of capital in the income-related benefits under review. We will shortly announce reforms of the treatment of capital for the pension credit.

Unemployment Benefits

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the trends in the numbers of those receiving benefits relating to unemployment in the last 12 months.

Malcolm Wicks: During the last 12 months unemployment has fallen below 1 million for the first time since 1975. The latest figures, for October 2001, show the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance at 951,100. Although this is 4,300 higher than in September, the labour market is still in a better position than a year ago, with claimant unemployment 95,700 lower than in October 2000.

Child Care Grant

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the child care grant payable to full-time students is classed as income for housing benefit and income support claimants.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 30 November 2001
	The child care grants payable by the Department for Education and Skills are disregarded as income for those full-time students who are eligible to claim housing benefit and income support, as are the child care grants paid by the Scottish Executive.

Stakeholder Pensions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employers are contributing to stakeholder pensions; and what information he has collated about the levels of contribution in relation to wage levels.

Ian McCartney: The information requested is not yet available. Provisional estimates of contributions to stakeholder pensions by employers are scheduled to be available in early 2002. Information on the earnings bands of stakeholder pension contributors is not yet available. However, recently published research from the Association of British Insurers found that the majority of those intending to take out a stakeholder pension in the 12 months following the research had an individual annual income of less than £25,000.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons (a) a claimant who applies after his 65th birthday is not exempt from vehicle excise duty and (b) a claimant who claims before his 65th birthday continues to receive an exemption afterwards; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	As a matter of law and policy, entitlement to the VED exemption in respect of disability, is linked to receipt of
	(a) the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA), or
	(b) the war pensioners mobility supplement paid under the war disablement pensions scheme, or
	(c) an invalid tricycle or small car issued by the Department of Health or the Scottish Executive.
	The effect of the policy is that a licence is issued without charge, where evidence of receipt of any of the above is produced at vehicle licensing.
	The Government have adopted this course because it ensures well defined criteria for entitlement which, in the main targets the exemption on people who become disabled before they reach the age of 65 and, through restricted mobility, may face a lifetime of limited opportunities to work, earn and save compared with their able-bodied counterparts. To introduce different criteria for entitlement VED exemption would be to add further to bureaucracy.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Magistrates

David Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received from members of the Magistrates Association about future changes in their role.

Michael Wills: The only recent representations received have been in response to Sir Robin Auld's Review Report. So far five magistrates have responded, although not all of these may be members of the Magistrates Association. The period for public comment runs until the end of January.

Small Claims Courts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has for reform of the small claims courts.

Rosie Winterton: There are no plans at the moment for the reform of the small claims procedure within the county courts in England and Wales. The current procedure has been in place for two and a half years and the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Court Service are now looking to evaluate the effectiveness of these procedures.

Local Magistracy

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he next expects to meet representatives of the lay justice to discuss the administration of local magistracy.

Michael Wills: Each magistrates courts committee is responsible for the efficient and effective administration of the magistrates courts in its area. This will include allocating administrative responsibility among its staff and providing training for magistrates, to ensure justice is administered throughout the local area.
	I continue to have meetings with various representatives of the magistrates courts community on a variety of issues.

Electoral Register

Chris Bryant: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has to make the marked electoral register more readily available to political parties.

Rosie Winterton: Access to marked electoral registers is provided by the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. The terms of access are agreed with the Speaker, in accordance with powers under the Representation of the People Act 1983. I understand there are no plans to change the arrangements at present.

Family Law Act

Margaret Moran: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has to introduce third party orders under section 60 of the Family Law Act 1996.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are concerned to ensure that the range of remedies available to survivors of domestic violence provides sufficient support and protection. We will therefore be conducting a short research project in the New Year, fully to assess the implications and benefits of introducing third party orders as provided under Section 60 of the Family Law Act 1996. We will work closely with stakeholders and interest groups to ensure that the project addresses the diverse needs of all those who need to use the court system.

Criminal Justice Review for Northern Ireland

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on her proposed functions under the criminal justice review for Northern Ireland, indicating the changes from her present functions.

Rosie Winterton: The Government's response to the Criminal Justice Review Report in Northern Ireland has been published in a detailed Implementation Plan and related draft Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill.
	When the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill receives parliamentary approval and the Government are satisfied that the devolved institutions are working effectively, those functions of the Lord Chancellor which relate to judicial appointments in Northern Ireland will pass to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and a new Judicial Appointments Commission. The most senior judicial appointments will be made on the advice of the Prime Minister. Other functions of the Lord Chancellor in relation to court sittings and membership of Court Rules Committees will be transferred to the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. The Lord Chief Justice will also have a new role in relation to the handling of complaints against the judiciary. The Lord Chancellor is also currently responsible for the Northern Ireland Court Service. The Bill anticipates the abolition of the Court Service as a separate and distinct Civil Service and the transfer of its functions and staff, most probably to the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Dispute Resolution

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures her Department is taking to promote alternative dispute resolution.

Rosie Winterton: Work is currently in hand to promote the use of ADR across Government, following the Government's pledge that all Departments and agencies will use ADR in suitable cases wherever the other party accepts it. Guidelines on the use of ADR, including the provision of appropriate clauses in standard procurement contracts, are currently being drawn up by the Office of Government Commerce, in collaboration with this Department. Last month my Department also organised a conference for Government lawyers on the use of ADR. In December the Lord Chancellor will launch a mediation scheme based at Birmingham civil justice centre.

Access Orders

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will introduce measures to enable parents without care to enforce access orders more effectively.

Rosie Winterton: The Children Act 1989 replaced the notion of access with that of contact. The Children Act Sub-Committee of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Board on Family Law published a consultation paper on the facilitation of contact and the enforcement of contact orders on 22 March 2001. The committee is currently considering the responses and hopes to submit a report on the outcome of consultation to the Government in early 2002. The Government will consider the committee's report carefully and respond in due course.

Durham Magistrates Bench

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the political balance in percentage terms is of the Durham Magistrates Bench.

Michael Wills: The political balance of the Durham Bench is as follows: Conservative voters 11.4 per cent, Labour voters 38.6 per cent., Liberal Democrat voters 4.5 per cent., uncommitted or voters for other parties 43.2 per cent. and not known 2.3 per cent.

TREASURY

Regional Competitiveness

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he had made of the trend in the competitiveness gap between the best-performing and worst-performing United Kingdom regions since May 1997; and what estimate he had made of how this trend will change over the course of the Parliament;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry regarding the regional competitiveness trends since May 1997 contained in the latest edition of the United Kingdom Competitiveness Index.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry jointly published our assessment of the causes and effects of the significant and persistent differences in economic performance between and within UK regions on 27 November 2001, in the document "Productivity in the UK: 3—The Regional Dimension". The document also sets out the policies and institutions the Government have put in place to tackle these imbalances.

Regional Investment

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government have conducted a regional impact assessment of public expenditure with respect to any Government Department; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The joint HMT/DTI document "Productivity in the UK: 3—The Regional Dimension", published on 27 November 2001, set out our long-term regional economic ambition to reduce the gap in performance between regions.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date his Department told (a) London Underground and (b) the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions that some more expensive elements of the London Underground PPP scheme should be scheduled for the later years of the scheme.

Andrew Smith: HM Treasury has given no such instructions to either London Underground, or the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action the Treasury has taken in relation to the public-private partnership for London Underground in the last three months.

Andrew Smith: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Treasury, DTLR and London Underground officials are in regular contact about various aspects of the PPP. London Underground are responsible for negotiating the PPP contracts.

Churches (VAT)

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the information and guidance available to the (a) parishes with listed churches and (b) Customs and Excise VAT Department on the recovery mechanisms for VAT paid on repairs to listed places of worship since April.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor announced in Budget 2001 that he was to introduce a UK-wide grant scheme to help congregations with the VAT cost of the repair and maintenance of listed buildings which are used as places of worship. The effect of the grant is to reduce the VAT cost on eligible repairs from 17.5 to 5 per cent.
	This grant scheme, known as the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, is being launched today by the Minister for the Arts. Documentation relating to the new scheme is now available, and may be obtained through the scheme's telephone hotline (0845 601 5945—calls charged at local rate), website (www.lpwscheme.org.uk) or by writing to:
	Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, PO Box 609, Newport NP10 8QD.
	Customs and Excise do not deal with the Scheme and refer callers to the DCMS hotline and web page.

Pensioners (Benefits and Allowances)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost is of each (a) tax allowance and (b) benefit given to pensioners in the current financial year; and what assessment he has made of the cost of each retirement allowance and benefit for future years (i) at current prices and (ii) in total as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimated costs of tax expenditures and reliefs are given in Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs, published on 27 November 2001. This is available in the Library of the House.
	The information on benefits can be found in the following table:
	
		£ billion (cash prices)(13) 
		
			   UK figures  
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Basic state pension (including non-contributory) 37.3 39.1 40.6 
			 SERPS 5.6 6.2 6.9 
			 Minimum income guarantee/pension credit(14) 4.7 4.5 5.4 
			 Winter fuel payments(14) 1.7 1.7 1.8 
			 Free TV licences 0.3 0.4 0.4 
			 Total pensioner benefits as percentage of GDP 5.0 5.0 5.0 
		
	
	(13) To nearest £100 million
	(14) MIG/PC and winter fuel payments are available to some non-pensioners, ie men aged 60–64.

Excise Duty

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much excise duty was raised from the sale of (a) petroleum and (b) diesel at petrol stations in the local government ward of Crossmaglen in the financial year 2000–01.

Paul Boateng: HM Customs and Excise does not collect information on the destination of petroleum or diesel after it passes the duty point, which is normally a refinery or storage facility.

Excise Duty

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much excise duty was raised from the sale of (a) diesel and (b) heating oil in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the rest of the United Kingdom for the last financial year for which records are available.

Paul Boateng: HM Customs and Excise does not collect information on the destination of diesel or heating oil after it passes the duty point, which is normally a refinery or storage facility.
	Estimates of the volumes of oils delivered in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the Unite Kingdom are published by the Department of Trade and Industry in the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics Table 3.9.

Financial Services Authority

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes the FSA should take to prevent company executives failing to inform (a) their own auditors and (b) the FSA of major solvency decisions.

Ruth Kelly: From 1 December 2001, under FSMA rules, authorised firms are required to co-operate with their auditors (and appointed actuary) in the discharge of their duties.
	Under FSMA, firms are required to report regularly to the FSA on their financial condition and their compliance with regulatory requirements including the requirement to maintain a solvency margin and to maintain adequate assets.
	In addition, firms are required to deal with the regulator in an open and co-operative way and to tell the FSA anything of which the FSA would reasonably expect notice. Breach of these requirements may give rise to sanctions, including fines.
	The chief executive (and other senior executives) of a firm must be an Approved Person under FSMA. Approved individuals may be liable to sanctions, including fines, if they are guilty of misconduct under FSMA which includes being knowingly concerned in a rule breach. Further protection against improper failure to disclose is available by virtue of the whistleblowing provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Financial Services Authority

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what FSA regulations apply to the activities of Irish European Reinsurance Company when reinsuring UK companies;
	(2)  what responsibilities non-UK EU reinsurance companies have to inform the FSA of major changes in the solvency of UK companies.

Ruth Kelly: None. The FSA does not have any power to make rules governing the behaviour of companies which do not carry on business in the UK.

Financial Services Authority

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how regularly the FSA communicates with its Irish counterpart; and by what means.

Ruth Kelly: There is a wide variety of communications, on both a regular and ad hoc basis, between the FSA and its Irish counterpart. The precise form and frequency of that communication is a matter for the FSA.

Financial Services Authority

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions the FSA has had with its Irish counterparts about Irish European Reinsurance Company's (a) activities and (b) reinsurance of Independent Insurance;
	(2)  if the FSA conducted an investigation into all reinsurance contracts held with UK companies by the Irish European Reinsurance Company following the disclosure of its reinsurance of Independent Insurance;
	(3)  what action the FSA took when it was informed of Irish European Reinsurance Company's involvement in reinsuring Independent Insurance.

Ruth Kelly: The FSA's dealings in respect of individual firms, and the details of its contacts with overseas regulators, are kept confidential between the parties concerned.

Illegal Meat Imports

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with other Government departments on the (a) level of illegal meat imports to the UK and (b) effectiveness of port controls and enforcement measures to tackle illegal meat imports, in respect of his role in assessing the work of HM Customs and Excise.

Paul Boateng: Treasury Ministers regularly have discussions with ministerial colleagues across Government on a wide variety of matters.
	Customs officials frequently consult officials in other Government Departments, particularly the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, about the operation and effectiveness of controls on meat imports.
	In accordance Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information it would be inappropriate to provide details of such inter-departmental discussions.

VAT

John Burnett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will explain the VAT treatment given to VAT invoices rendered for work done for the Treasury by outside contractors.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 29 November 2001
	Invoices in relation to taxable supplies of goods or services should include the appropriate amount of VAT.

Port Officials

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements exist for (a) Customs and Excise and (b) immigration officials to be present at a port which does not have a permanent presence of such officials when a request is made for foreign tourists to disembark at that port; and if he will make a statement on what restrictions geography imposes on such officials being present.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 29 November 2001
	HM Customs and Excise conducts risk assessments of all traffic and locations in the United Kingdom. Resources are deployed flexibly to address that risk. The absence of a permanent presence at a location does not mean that Customs does not deploy there to address specific risks.
	Immigration officers routinely attend ports which do not have a permanent presence, in order to examine passengers arriving on services originating from outside the European economic area. Other services are closely monitored and carriers are required to fax passenger manifests to a designated local immigration office. Immigration officers also make regular unannounced visits to unmanned ports in order to ensure that the correct procedures are being followed.
	Customs and Immigration maintain close links, sharing intelligence and undertaking special exercises where these are appropriate.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total unallocated funds within his departmental expenditure limit (a) at the start of the financial year and (b) to date; and what was the month seven forecast on outturn underspend against his departmental expenditure limit in (i) real and (ii) percentage terms.

Andrew Smith: The Treasury's Departmental Unallocated Provision (DUP) set for the present financial year is tabulated on page 162 of its departmental annual report for 2001–02 (Cm 5116). Draw-down of the DUP has been reported to Parliament in Supplementary Estimates. Outturn against six-month forecast for each Request for Resources will be published in the Winter Supplementary Estimates Summary Request for Supply as usual.

Railtrack

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement for financial years (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03 of Railtrack remaining in administration; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: Loans made to the administrator by DTLR of £1.17 billion so far, and any additional lending in the future, will not score on the Public Sector Net Borrowing. Such loans will add to the Public Sector Net Cash Requirement when given, and reduce it when repaid. Repayment is anticipated before the end of this financial year.

Working Families Tax Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in receipt of one or more of the various components of working families tax credit have a final income of (a) more than twice, (b) more than two and half times and (c) more than three times their initial net income.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 4 December 2001
	It is estimated from the Family Resources Survey that, under the working families tax credit regime applying to awards starting from June 2001, the numbers of such families are about (a) 70,000, and (b) 40,000. The sample size is too small to yield a reliable estimate for (c)
	Notes:
	1. Estimates are derived from 1999–2000 FRS with incomes projected forward to 2001–02 and assuming the 2001–02 regimes for income tax and national insurance contributions. They are subject to sampling error.
	2. Survey results are calibrated to the number of families on maximum WFTC awards yielded by administrative data.
	3. Final net income is as projected, including estimated entitlement to WFTC, housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB). Initial net income is this less the estimated entitlement to WFTC, plus any consequent increase in estimated entitlement to HB and CTB.

Family Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how many families are (a) eligible for and (b) receiving (i) the children's tax credit and (ii) the working families tax credit, at the latest date for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The numbers of recipients of working families tax credit (WFTC) are shown in the WFTC Quarterly Enquiries, copies of which are in the Library. No reliable estimate of the number of families eligible for WFTC can be attempted until the Family Resources Survey for 2000–01 is available for analysis.
	It is estimated that around 5 million families are eligible for the children's tax credit (CTC). About 3.6 million application forms have been received at the latest count. A large number of families eligible for the CTC will be able to claim it via self assessment.

Teenage Pregnancies

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many girls resident in the Buckingham constituency registered (a) the conception and (b) the birth of a child before the age of 16 years in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. John Bercow, dated 30 November 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of girls resident in Buckingham that registered the conception and birth of a child before the age of 16 years, in each year since 1997. I am replying in his absence (19389).
	There is no requirement to register conceptions in England and Wales. Estimates are however produced by the Office for National Statistics, based on registrations of births and notifications of abortions performed under the Abortion Act (1967). the available figures for estimated conceptions and registered livebirths under 16 for residents of Buckingham Parliamentary Constituency since 1997 are given in the table below:
	
		Numbers of conceptions and livebirths under age 16: Residents of Buckingham parliamentary constituency: 1997–2000
		
			  Conceptions under 16 Livebirths under 16 
		
		
			 1997 3 0 
			 1998 9 0 
			 1999 3 0 
			 2000 (15)— 0 
		
	
	(15) Figures not yet available
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Specialist Tobacconists

Kevin Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many specialist tobacconists there are in the UK, defined as a shop selling tobacco products, more than half of whose sales on the premises in question derive from the sales of cigars, snuff, pipe tobacco and smoking accessories; and what proportion of total UK sales as a percentage of turnover are sold through these shops.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Kevin Barron, dated 30 November 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the number of specialist tobacconists in the UK, and the proportion of total UK sales through these shops. I am replying in his absence (20133).
	The number of businesses classified to retail sale of tobacco products, as their principal activity, is 11,760. These businesses account for 10.7% of the total UK turnover from sales of tobacco-related products.

Research and Development (Tax Credits)

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish a consultative note on research and development tax credits for large companies.

Dawn Primarolo: The Treasury is today publishing "Designs for Innovation", which seeks views on the details of a version of a volume based research and development tax credit. Copies have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Reviews and Consultations

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what is the forecast (a) cost and (b) completion date of the consultation on competition in the annuities market;
	(2)  what his target date for completion of the consultation on road haulage taxation is; and how much he expects the consultation to cost;
	(3)  what is the forecast (a) cost and (b) publication date for the new analysis of Britain's regional productivity challenge, referred to in CM 5318, page 6;
	(4)  what he expects the cost of the Wanless report to be; and when he expects it to be completed;
	(5)  what his target date for the completion of consultation on motorcycle vehicle excise duty is; and how much he expects the consultation to cost;
	(6)  what he expects to be the cost of Sir Howard Davies' review of enterprise in schools and further education;
	(7)  what are (a) the terms of reference and (b) the intended participants for the analysis of Britain's regional productivity challenge, referred to in CM 5318, page 6;
	(8)  what is the forecast (a) cost and (b) completion date of the review of the Inland Revenue's links with business;
	(9)  what was the cost of the Carter report into payroll burdens.

Dawn Primarolo: The reviews and consultations have been, and are being, conducted at modest cost and within departmental expenditure limits. The Government have requested responses by 8 February 2002 to the consultation documents "Modernising the Taxation of the Haulage Industry" and "Reforming Motorcycle Vehicle Excise Duty". The Government's analysis of Britain's regional productivity challenge was published on 27 November in "Productivity in the UK: 3—The Regional Dimension". The review of Inland Revenue links with business has been completed and the report was published on 27 November. The Government intend to consult on promoting competition in the annuities market in the first quarter of 2002. Mr. Wanless will produce a final report to the Chancellor before the conclusion of the 2002 Spending Review.

Firearms

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firearms intended for illegal importation were seized by HM Customs and Excise in each year since 1990.

Paul Boateng: The following table sets out the number of firearms seized by customs since 1990. It includes all complete weapons falling within the definition of a firearm in the Firearms Act 1968.
	
		Number of illegal firearms seized by HM Customs and Excise
		
			 Year ended 31 March  Hand guns Rifles Shotguns Self defence sprays Stun guns Total 
		
		
			 1990 1,489 144 44 414 301 2,392 
			 1991 253 535 49 1,132 48 2,017 
			 1992 176 126 82 692 53 1,129 
			 1993 138 41 39 2,580 427 3,225 
			 1994 304 349 68 6,266 216 7,203 
			 1995 261 49 111 7,221 79 7,721 
			 1996 82 61 122 5,464 177 5,906 
			 1997 264 268 32 3,452 120 4,136 
			 1998 333 174 362 4,248 344 5,471 
			 1999 83 106 51 2,343 106 2,689 
			 2000 417 95 129 1,169 101 1,911 
			 2001 163 48 44 2,428 114 2,697

Fuel Prices

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has collated on the (a) pump price and (b) levels of tax and duty of unleaded petrol and diesel in each EU country.

Paul Boateng: The information requested can be found in the HM Customs and Excise "Hydrocarbon Oils Factsheet".

Small Businesses

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his specific target for reducing the compliance costs of small businesses with reference to paragraph 3.36 of CM 5318; and how he intends to measure progress.

Dawn Primarolo: Details of the consultation announced in paragraph 3.36 of CM 5318, the pre-Budget report 2001, were given in the pre-Budget report press notice REV/C&E 1 "Boosting investment and growth for small businesses". Ministers will consider the wider implications for small companies when considering any proposals to simplify the corporation tax computation that arise from the consultation.

RenewCo

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer against what criteria the ONS was determining the treatment of RenewCo in the national accounts.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 27 November 2001
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Kidgell to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 4 December 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning against what criteria the ONS was determining the treatment of RenewCo in the national accounts. I am replying in his absence. (18775).
	The criteria ONS used in determining the national accounts treatment of Renewco are those specified in the international statistical manuals, namely the 1995 European System of Accounts and the 1993 System of National Accounts. Within the European Union, member states' implementation of these guidelines is subject to scrutiny by Eurostat (Commission) and national accountants in other member states.

RenewCo

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice the ONS gave the Treasury on the treatment of RenewCo in the national accounts.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 27 November 2001
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Kidgell to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 4 December 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning what advice the ONS gave the Treasury on the treatment of RenewCo in the national accounts. I am replying in his absence. (18774)
	ONS is responsible for the UK's national accounts, and, therefore, for the classifications of institutions and transactions within them. The Treasury applies the same classifications within public sector finances.
	In the case of RenewCo, the Treasury consulted the ONS, at various times, on how ONS would classify the institution within the national accounts. The ONS provided the following advice, on the following dates.
	On 3 April 2001 provisional advice was given, based on the provisional information provided to ONS, that RenewCo would be classified as a private sector institution.
	Following the lifting of confidentiality restrictions the case was examined by the ONS's Public Sector Classification Committee, which on 14 June 2001 confirmed the earlier provisional advice.
	On 27 July 2001 advice was given that RenewCo's planned receipts from the Strategic Rail Authority would be scored under the National Accounts heading "other capital transfers".
	On 26 September 2001 advice was given that, based on new information HM Treasury had provided on changes to the contract, the case would need to be re-examined.
	On 5 October 2001 provisional advice was given, based on the provisional information provided, that borrowing by RenewCo (now referred to as NGCL) would be classified as public sector borrowing.
	Copies of the letters giving advice are available from the Library of the House.

RenewCo

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the involvement of the Office for National Statistics in negotiations between the Strategic Rail Authority, the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and Railtrack about Renewco.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Kidgell to Chris Grayling, dated 4 December 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to answer your question about the classification of RenewCo. I am replying in his absence. (20417)
	I have already given details of the advice given and the dates in my reply to Theresa May MP, which appeared in Hansard.

Pensions

Eric Illsley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of group personal pension plans there are in the age groups (a) 18 to 35, (b) 36 to 45, (c) 46 to 50, (d) 51 to 55, (e) 56 to 60 and (f) 61 to 74 years.

Ian McCartney: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the ages of members of group personal pension plans is not recorded separately from that of all personal pensions.

Pensions

Eric Illsley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many group personal pension plans there were in 2000–01; and how many individual members of them there were.

Ian McCartney: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of group personal pension (GPP) plans is not recorded centrally as no distinction is made between different types of personal pension.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Zimbabwe

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the cases of terrorist acts against the holders of British citizenship in Zimbabwe in each of the past five years.

Ben Bradshaw: While we continue to be concerned by the high level of violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe, we have no record of any terrorist acts against British citizens in Zimbabwe in the past five years.

Zimbabwe

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations (a) his Department and (b) international organisations have made to the Government of Zimbabwe on (i) the eviction of black farm workers from their homes as a result of land reform policy and (ii) the recent attacks on and arrests of opposition MDC supporters in Matabeleland; what representations his Department has made to SADC countries concerning sending election observer missions to Zimbabwe for the presidential election; what steps he is taking to ensure that a free and fair presidential election will be held in Zimbabwe; and what conditions the UK Government have set for recognising the outcome of the Zimbabwe presidential election relating to the action of the Government of Zimbabwe in ensuring a free and fair election.

Ben Bradshaw: We continue to encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to abide by the undertakings they made at the Abuja meeting on 6 September, including restoration of the rule of law, an end to violence and intimidation and illegal land occupations. During these representations we regularly draw attention to the plight of farm workers. The British High Commission in Harare made a public statement condemning political violence following the recent politically motivated violence in Bulawayo.
	We continue to encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to create a climate conducive to free and fair elections. The presidential election process will be raised as part of the EU consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement. We are in regular dialogue with South African Development Community—SADC—countries on election observers and other issues related to Zimbabwe's electoral process. We are also discussing Zimbabwe's electoral process with Commonwealth partners, the US and others. The credibility of the presidential election will be questioned by the UK and the international community if the process is not demonstrably free and fair.

Public-Private Partnerships

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects in his Department which have been considered as potential public-private partnerships since 1997 which have not been undertaken because the public sector comparator had a lower net present value than the public private partnership proposed; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 607W.
	It is a matter of policy, that at an early stage in the options appraisal process we consider whether a public- private partnerships approach is likely to deliver value for money. It would involve disproportionate cost to list all projects where the public-private partnership approach was considered and rejected in favour of conventional procurement.

September 11

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what have been the costs of operations undertaken by his Department in connection with events following the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States; and if these costs will be met from his Department's budget.

Ben Bradshaw: Since the events of 11 September, the FCO has had to react immediately to sizeable changes in the global environment. This has had a significant effect on the FCO's budget, forcing us to re-prioritise. We have incurred extra expenditure on: vital physical security for our overseas missions and the staff working in them; evacuating British citizens at risk from increased tension and violence in Pakistan; dealing with British victims of the destruction of the World Trade Centre and assisting their families; the considerable diplomatic effort to seek out and bring those responsible to justice, and to build on international coalition against terrorism; and a rapid increase in BBC World Service broadcasting in local languages in and around Afghanistan.
	Current estimates put the additional cost of the crisis to the FCO this financial year around £40 million. Fee income from visas and passports may well suffer with the downturn in international travel. The last spending review significantly increased the resources of the FCO for this financial year. We are seeking to absorb as much as possible of the new requirements through re-prioritisation as well as efficiency measure. We are in discussion with the Treasury to address the shortfall in resources the FCO faces.

Iraq

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessments his Department has (a) made and (b) received of links between Iraq and the bin Laden organisation.

Ben Bradshaw: Al-Qaeda has contacts in several countries outside Afghanistan. We have no convincing information that any regime other than the Taliban supports al-Qaeda.

Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many public appointments he has made since 7 June; and if he will list them.

Ben Bradshaw: FCO Ministers have made six new public appointments since 7 June 2001. These are as follows: Mr. Elfyn Llwyd MP, Mr. Patrick Smith and Mr. Michael Aaronson to the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; Sir Frank Berman and Andrew Bache to the Diplomatic Service Appeals Board; and Mr. Abdul Fazal Bhanji to the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

Osama bin Laden

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the regimes which his Department suspects of having given (a) active and (b) passive aid to the bin Laden organisation.

Ben Bradshaw: We are not speculating that any regimes other than the Taliban support al-Qaeda. There are other countries where terrorists are able to operate. We are developing a broad counter-terrorism strategy for such countries covering diplomatic measures, counter- terrorism and law enforcement assistance, development aid, public information and media messages and intelligence.

Osama bin Laden

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on what discussions his Department had prior to 11 September with Pakistan Government officials regarding Osama bin Laden.

Ben Bradshaw: Prior to 11 September, we regularly raised our concerns about Osama bin Laden with the Pakistanis. On 13 June, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Pakistani Foreign Minister Sattar where he urged Pakistan to use their influence over the Taliban to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1333 which inter alia calls for Osama bin Laden to be handed over to justice.

Gibraltar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Chief Minister of Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I last met the Chief Minister of Gibraltar in London on 28 November. As I said in my speech in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2000, Official Report, column 91WH, both I and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have worked hard to enable the Gibraltar Government to join the meetings under the Brussels Process. At the ministerial meeting of the Brussels Process held in Barcelona on 20 November, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Spanish Foreign Minister reiterated their invitation for the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to attend future Brussels Process ministerial meetings. As previously stated the Government will continue to stand by their commitments to the people of Gibraltar as set out in the preamble to the Gibraltar Constitution.

Gibraltar

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role he played in arranging the meeting between Spanish officials and the First Minister of Gibraltar in Madrid; and if he will make a statement on these discussions.

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs played no direct role in arranging the meeting between Spanish officials and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. However, building on the climate of confidence established by the re-launch of the Brussels Process, I encouraged both parties to talk and meet, which they did.

Israel

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conditions attach to exports from Israel arising from agreements with the EU for (a) goods manufactured or produced in Israel and (b) goods manufactured or produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories of Palestine; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The EU/Israel Association Agreement provides for preferential access to EU markets for products originating in Israel, provided such exports meet the requirements set out in the agreement. The EU has made clear that, for the Union as well as for the international community, Israel does not include the occupied territories. The EC/PLO Interim Agreement applies to the territory of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. East Jerusalem remains covered by the preferential trade agreement unilaterally granted by the European Community in 1996.

Israel

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken to prevent Israel from labelling goods exported to the UK which have been made or produced in settlements in Palestine as manufactured or produced in Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The EU has made clear to Israel, most recently at the EU-Israel Association Council on 20 November, the importance the union attaches to the correct application of all the provisions of the association agreement, including its territorial scope. The EU will continue to do its best to find a sustainable solution to the rules of origin issue, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement. Further expert discussions with Israel are likely, to address the issues involved.
	On 23 November the European Commission published a notice to importers in the EC Official Journal advising importers presenting documentary evidence of origin with a view to securing preferential treatment for products originating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights to take all necessary precautions.

Yemen

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of terrorist organisations based in Yemen.

Ben Bradshaw: I cannot comment on intelligence material. The Yemeni Government have acknowledged that the Islamic Army of Aden (IAA) is based in Yemen. The IAA is a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Yemen

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Yemen concerning the (a) international coalition against terrorism and (b) policy of the Government of Yemen towards terrorist organisations.

Ben Bradshaw: I met the President's envoy, Dr. Iriyani, when he visited London in October. We discussed the international coalition against terrorism and the Yemeni Government's view towards terrorism. I welcomed the Yemeni Government's swift and strong condemnation of the attacks in the USA. Dr. Iriyani said that Yemen would do all it could in the fight against terrorism.

Yemen

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 a Minister in his Department visited Yemen; when these visits took place; where was visited; and what discussions took place during these visits.

Ben Bradshaw: The then Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz), visited Sana'a in October 2000 and met President Saleh and Prime Minister Iriyani. They discussed bilateral issues, including counter-terrorism co-operation, consular matters, trade and developmental assistance and also regional issues.

Yemen

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are held in prisons in Yemen; on what date they were imprisoned; and, in each case, what the duration of the sentence handed down to them was.

Ben Bradshaw: There are currently five Britons imprisoned in Yemen. They were imprisoned between 28 December 1998 and 27 January 1999. One is serving three years, two are serving five years, and two are serving seven years.

Indonesia (West Papua)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government to seek a halt to military operations in the Papua province of the country;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government to (a) set up an independent commission to investigate recent atrocities in West Papua and (b) encourage the army and police security forces to collaborate fully with it;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the involvement of special forces within the Indonesian police and army in the assassinations and murders reported in West Papua in recent weeks;
	(4)  what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government following reports of anti-civilian attacks by the Brimob force of the Indonesian police;
	(5)  what assessment his Department has made of the activities of the Brimob force within the Indonesian Police in West Papua; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There are frequent allegations of human rights abuses by the Indonesian security forces. HMG monitors events closely and raises concerns with the Indonesian authorities whenever necessary. We have repeatedly stressed to the Government that security forces should operate within the law and with strict regard to human rights. Through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, HMG are pursuing a security sector reform strategy, working with the Indonesian authorities and civil society to nurture debate about democratic control, transparency and accountability of the security forces, and to encourage greater respect for human rights.
	HMG respect Indonesia's territorial integrity and believe that long-term solutions to its regional problems will be achieved only through political negotiation, not violence.
	The circumstances surrounding the recent death of Theys Eluay, the pro-independence leader, are not clear. HMG have expressed concern and urged the Indonesian authorities to conduct a full and thorough investigation. The Indonesian Government has stated that they are committed to this. The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has also announced that it will carry out an independent investigation once the results of the police investigation have been made public.

Nepal

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Nepal; what assistance he has given to Nepal in the last 12 months; and what advice is being given to tourists visiting Nepal.

Ben Bradshaw: We strongly condemn the return to violence by the Maoists in Nepal, and urge them to cease violence and return to dialogue. We understand the reasons behind the declaration of a state of emergency in Nepal, and hope that the Nepalese Government will quickly be able to bring peace to the country.
	We have strongly supported the peace process in Nepal, including mobilising local and international opinion in favour of the peace effort. DFID development assistance to Nepal is currently in the region of £20 million a year and is likely to increase. The MOD has supplied training and other support to the Royal Nepalese Army as well as significant infrastructure assistance to Nepal's UN peacekeeping training centre.
	We are advising British tourists to exercise extreme caution when travelling in Nepal. We are also advising those who are planning a trip to Nepal to monitor events carefully, and to consult the FCO travel advice for Nepal (available on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk) regularly.

Laeken European Council

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the main objectives of the European Council's summit at Laeken.

Peter Hain: The agenda for the European Council has not yet been finalised. But we expect it to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, and the EU follow up to the events of 11 September; review the situation in the western Balkans; debate the future of Europe and establish a convention to examine the options for the IGC in 2004; welcome progress on EU enlargement; adopt a presidency report on European defence; review progress on the Tampere justice and home affairs agenda; and note preparations for the launch of Euro notes and coins.

Laeken European Council

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement (a) on the membership of the convention due to be established at Laeken and (b) what the Government hope to achieve at the Laeken summit.

Peter Hain: Final decisions on the composition of the convention will be taken at the Laeken European Council. The convention will include representatives from national Governments, national Parliaments, the European Parliament and the Commission. The candidate states will be fully represented.
	The Government expect that Laeken will thus launch the European level debate about the Future of Europe. It was agreed at Nice that this debate should consider how to improve and monitor the democratic legitimacy and transparency of the EU and its institutions, in order to bring them closer to the citizens of the members states. The Government welcome this.

Laeken European Council

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the Laeken European Council.

Peter Hain: The Government meet members of the Commission on a regular basis to discuss these and other issues.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also discussed issues to be addressed by the Laeken European Council with the President of the Commission on 15 November.

European Houses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) purpose, (b) funding and (c) activities of European Houses in the UK.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Minister of State to the Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 34W.

European Bodies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activities in the United Kingdom of (a) Sources d' Europe, (b) the Jacques Delors Information Centre and (c) CIDE: Information and Documentation Centre, as identified in Com (2001) 354; and what recent representations he has received from these bodies.

Peter Hain: The FCO has not received any recent representations from these bodies. Any activities that they undertake are a matter for the bodies themselves.

"Your Britain, Your Europe"

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the planned activities of the "Your Britain, Your Europe" roadshow.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly reviews and updates its information activities and has now discontinued the use of the "Your Britain, Your Europe" label. Activities to increase support for and a better understanding of the European Union will of course continue, in line with the FCO's Public Service Agreement (as set out at www.fco.gov.uk).

"Your Britain, Your Europe"

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards maintaining political impartiality in the "Your Britain, Your Europe" programme.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Public Service Agreement, available at www.fco.gov.uk commits the Government to promote increased support for and better understanding of the merits of European Union membership. I recently launched a new programme of visits to regions of the United Kingdom to discuss Europe. So far I have visited Cardiff and Edinburgh. I invited members of all the main political parties to participate in events during the course of these visits.

Falkland Islands

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to enter into discussions with Argentina about the future status of the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: None, therefore no.

Russia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to visit Russia.

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Moscow on 31 October and had talks with the Russian Foreign and Defence Ministers. He met the Russian Foreign Minister again in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 10 November.
	He has no immediate plans to visit Russia but remains in regular contact with his Russian counterpart.

School Places

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help civil servants receive with finding and securing places for their children in state-funded schools when returning from prolonged placements overseas.

Ben Bradshaw: UK-based FCO staff returning to the UK from overseas apply for places in accordance with the arrangements established by the local education authorities (LEAs) under the guidance of the Department for Education and Skills. When necessary, the FCO provide LEAs with background information about the officer's circumstances.

European Union Business

Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for December and (b) major European Union events for the period between 31 December and May 2002.

Peter Hain: The information is as follows:
	4 December—ECOFIN meeting—Brussels
	1. Adoption of the Agenda
	2. Approval of the list of 'A' items
	3. Preparation for the Laeken European Council
	Report on aims and working methods in the field of pensions
	Report on structural indicators
	Report on progress concerning the fiscal package
	4. Fiscal Package
	Taxation and savings
	Directive, including main features of a standardised form for exchanging information
	Interim reports by the member states concerned on discussions with dependent or associated territories
	Code of Conduct
	Progress report from Code of Conduct group
	5. (Poss.) VAT invoicing (may become 'A' item)
	6. Financial Services
	(Poss.) Financial Services Action Plan, 5 Progress report from the Commission
	(Poss.) Proposal for a Directive on financial collateral arrangements
	General approach
	Prospectus
	Presidency report on progress
	Financial conglomerates
	Presidency report on progress
	UCTIS
	Adoption
	7. Annual report of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2000
	Presentation by the Court of Auditors
	8. Galileo
	Progress report
	9. Economic situation in the air transport sector (insurance)
	Report on developments in the situation
	10. Preparation for ministerial meeting with the candidate countries
	11. Conference on Financing for Development
	Common Position
	12. Other Business
	3—Brussels—Employment and Social Affairs Council
	4—Bruges—Culture Council (Ministerial Informal)
	4—Brussels—Energy Council
	5—Brussels—Industry Council
	6–7—Brussels—Transport and Telecommunications Council
	6–7—Brussels—Justice and Home Affairs Council
	10—Brussels—Research Council
	10–11—Brussels—General Affairs Council
	12–13—Brussels—Environment Council
	14—Laeken—ECOFIN
	14–15—Laeken—European Council
	17–18—Brussels—Fisheries Council
	18–19—Brussels—Agriculture Council.
	No agendas for the above are available yet.
	The following are the principle events in the EU between 1 January and May 2002 (certain relevant events are also included: the list is based on the information available at the date of issue).
	
		
			 Date Location Event 
		
		
			 January   
			 10 Brussels Fisheries Council 
			 17 Brussels Budget Council(16) 
			 21 to 22 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 21 Brussels Eurogroup(16) 
			 22 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 25 to 26 Brussels Meeting of Employment Ministers(17) 
			 28 to 29 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			
			 February   
			 9 to 10 Brussels Gymnich(17) 
			 11 Brussels Eurogroup(16) 
			 14 Brussels Education and Youth Council 
			 14 to 15 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council(17) 
			 18 to 19 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			 18 to 19 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 22 to 23 Brussels Telecoms and Information Society Council(17) 
			 28 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council 
			
			 March   
			 1 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council(16) 
			 1 Brussels Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council 
			 4 Brussels Eurogroup(16) 
			 5 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 7 Brussels Employment and Social Affairs Council 
			 11 Brussels Research Council 
			 11 to 12 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			 15 to 16 Barcelona European Council 
			 18 to 19 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 21 Brussels Environment Council 
			 23 to 24 Brussels Defence Meeting(17) 
			 25 to 26 Brussels Transport and Telecom Council 
			
			 April   
			 5 to 6 Luxembourg Migrations Council(18) 
			 8 Luxembourg Fisheries Council 
			 13 to 14 Luxembourg ECOFIN(17) 
			 15 to 16 Luxembourg General Affairs Council 
			 22 to 23 Valencia Euromed Conference 
			 22 to 23 Luxembourg Agriculture Council 
			 25 to 26 Luxembourg Justice and Home Affairs Council 
			 27 to 30 Luxembourg Agriculture Council(17) 
			
			 May   
			 3 to 4 Brussels Tourism Council(17) 
			 6 Brussels Eurogroup(16) 
			 7 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 9  Europe Day 
			 13 Brussels General Affairs and Defence Council 
			 17 to 18 Madrid EU-LAC Summit 
			 21 Brussels Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council 
			 23 Brussels Culture and Audio-visual Council 
			 24 to 26 Brussels Environment Council(17) 
			 27 to 28 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 30 Brussels Development Council 
			 30 Brussels Education and Youth Council 
			 31 to 1 June Brussels Transport Council(17) 
		
	
	(16) Evening
	(17) Ministerial informal
	(18) ASEM Ministerial informal

NORTHERN IRELAND

Oversight Commissioner

Phil Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the latest report received from the Oversight Commissioner.

Jane Kennedy: In accordance with section 68(4)(a) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, I have today laid a copy of the Oversight Commissioner's third statutory report for the year 2001 before this House.

Government Law and Order Policy

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Government's policy is in regard to (a) organised crime and (b) community policing in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are determined to confront organised crime in Northern Ireland and are leading the fight through the work of the Organised Crime Task Force, which I chair.
	The Task Force, launched in September 2000, is a multi-agency initiative, involving the Police Service of Northern Ireland, HM Customs & Excise and others. Work is already well developed and the operational agencies have achieved significant successes. For example, on 8 November, a joint operation by Customs and police resulted in seizure of 42.6 million illicit cigarettes, the largest ever seizure in the United Kingdom.
	The Government will not permit the legacy of terrorism to develop into a system of organised crime activity in Northern Ireland. However, there are no short-term fixes. The dismantling of organised crime groups takes time, expertise and commitment.
	The Government and the Chief Constable accept the importance of community policing and are committed to ensuring that this is a core function of the police service and the core function of every police station. It is the Government's policy to support, in every way possible, the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, in delivering effective community policing.

Holy Cross Protest

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions his officials had discussions with (a) Ardoyne Road and (b) Glenbryn Road residents about the Holy Cross protest; and what the outcome of these meetings was.

Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State and I along with my officials have had a number of meetings with both sides involved in this dispute. I have also held meetings with members of the Devolved Administration, local community representatives, interest groups, and the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Dodds) to discuss how the present situation may be resolved. We welcome the recent decision by the residents to end their protest and now hope the children will be able to continue with their education without fear or threat of intimidation.

Holy Cross Protest

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Police Service for Northern Ireland's policing strategy for the Holy Cross protests; and how many times this has been reviewed.

Jane Kennedy: During the policing of the Holy Cross protest it has been police strategy to:
	Respect and uphold the human rights of all those involved including the children, parents, teachers, protestors, residents and the general community;
	Prevent public disorder and to ensure the safety of all those involved;
	Minimise the disruption to local communities and those attending Holy Cross Primary School; and
	Enforce the law and bring offenders to court.
	Protection of the children and their rights has been a paramount factor throughout the protests. In this context, police have sought to work and negotiate with local people from both sides and their representatives in order to ensure the safe passage of the children to their school. The strategy for the operation has been kept under review on a daily basis. In addition there have been six formal meetings to review the strategy.

Holy Cross Protest

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost has been to (a) the Army and (b) the Police Service for Northern Ireland of policing the Holy Cross protest.

Jane Kennedy: Police estimate the additional cost to the police grant of the ongoing operation at Holy Cross to be £18,000 per day arising from increased overtime costs. This equates to a financial cost from September to date of £1.1 million in addition to the human resource effect the operation has on other areas of policing. There have been no additional costs to the Army in supporting the PSNI to police the Holy Cross protest. Any costs incurred are contained within the Army's normal operational budget.
	The quoted figures distinguish between the normal costs of policing and the incremental costs (overtime and other expenses) incurred for this specific operation.
	Although there may be additional secondary costs to the Army e.g. fuel costs, these are not easily quantifiable. There are no additional manpower costs as the Army does not work overtime.

Violent Offences

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each month since April 2000 the police were in receipt of information regarding violence against (a) persons and (b) property in interface areas; on how many occasions officers were sent to the scene; and on how many occasions charges were subsequently brought against those involved.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not held centrally and would have to be extracted from a number of different sources. To provide the information from April 2000 could be done only at a disproportionate cost. Generally, if information is received by police prior to an incident of public disorder, patrols are briefed accordingly and if necessary additional patrols are tasked.

Paramilitary Crimes

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Republican and (b) Loyalist paramilitary crimes have been committed (i) since the signing of the Belfast Agreement and (ii) during 2001, broken down into (a) shootings, (b) bombings, (c) killings, (d) beatings and (e) other crimes; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is included in following the tables:
	
		Terrorist-related incidents since the Belfast Agreement -- 10 April 1998 to 22 November 2001
		
			  By Loyalist By Republican Unknown Total 
		
		
			 Murders 35 42 0 77 
			 Shooting incidents 540 237 84 861 
			 Bombing incidents 508 80 30 618 
			 Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults 317 183 0 500 
			 Casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings 273 157 0 430 
		
	
	
		Terrorist-related incidents 1 January to 22 November 2001
		
			  By Loyalist By Republican Unknown Total 
		
		
			 Murders 10 3 0 13 
			 Shooting incidents 218 89 11 318 
			 Bombing incidents 269 40 12 321 
			 Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults 81 46 0 127 
			 Casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings 113 61 0 174 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The following types of shooting incidents are included:
	Shots fired by terrorists
	Paramilitary style attacks involving shootings
	Shots heard (and later confirmed)
	Other violent incidents where shots are fired (eg armed robbery).
	2. An individual bombing incident may involve one or more explosive devices. Incidents recorded include explosions and defusings. Incidents involving hoax devices, petrol bombings or incendiaries are excluded.
	3. 2001 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor adjustment.

DEFENCE

Cardiff International Airport

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the draft plans for the new fixed wing aircraft repair business unit at Cardiff International Airport.

Adam Ingram: The consultant's report and other supporting information regarding re-location of the fixed wing business unit to Cardiff International Airport contains commercially sensitive information. I am therefore withholding this information in accordance with Exception 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The Cardiff Airport option is now not being pursued and a business case to develop the St. Athan site is being developed.

European Technology Acquisition Programme

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons learned from the procurement process of Eurofighter he will apply to the procurement of the European Technology Acquisition Programme; what are the objectives of the ETAP study; when he expects the ETAP study to be completed; what financial commitment he has made to the ETAP study; what expenditure limits he has set for it; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The European Technology Acquisition Programme (ETAP) is concerned with technologies relevant to a wide range of combat air systems, including manned and unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles. The key lessons from the Eurofighter procurement are reflected in Smart Acquisition principles under which ETAP will be conducted. The two project teams are in close communication to ensure that any appropriate lessons are learnt.
	ETAP is a joint technology programme with European industry which will sustain and develop European capabilities for combat air systems over the next two decades. Linked to ETAP is a joint study, reporting in summer 2002, which will give an initial assessment of the miliary capabilities that the six nations' armed forces will need around 2020. Nations will commit funds to the specific technology demonstration programmes within ETAP in which they participate. It is too early to say with precision what UK funding will be required, but we would expect to spend some tens of millions of pounds in the early years of ETAP and more thereafter. All funding will be subject to normal MOD approvals.

Future Offensive Air System

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Future Offensive Air System programme.

Lewis Moonie: The UK has a requirement to replace, towards the end of the next decade, the strike capability currently provided by the Tornado GR4 strike aircraft. This programme is known as the Future Offensive Air System. The primary roles will be to destroy strategic targets deep in enemy territory and to damage the enemy's ability to wage aerial warfare by disabling aircraft on the ground or by damaging their command and control systems.
	To meet the capability required, the MOD is studying a range of options, including manned and unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles. Allied to these studies will be a programme of technology demonstrations, some of which will be collaborative; opportunities are being explored within Europe and with the USA and Australia.
	On 19 November, Defence Ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom signed the European Technology Acquisition Programme declaration. This launched a joint technology programme with European industry which will sustain and develop European capabilities for combat air systems over the next two decades.

Torpedoes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to place orders to (a) upgrade and (b) replace torpedoes.

Lewis Moonie: There are currently three torpedoes in service with Her Majesty's Armed Forces—Sting Ray, Spearfish and Tigerfish. Spearfish is replacing Tigerfish as the Royal Navy's heavy weight torpedo, and significantly enhances its anti-submarine and anti-ship torpedo capability. The production of Spearfish torpedoes is currently running to time and cost. Contracts for Concept work for a mid-life update of the Spearfish torpedo have been placed with QinetiQ and BAE Systems Electronics Ltd. Underwater Weapons Division, Waterlooville.
	Sting Ray is the Forces' light weight torpedo and is the main anti-submarine weapon for surface ships, helicopters and the Nimrod Maritime Patrol Aircraft. It is the subject of a comprehensive life extension programme which will, over the coming years, improve its capability against the modern submarine threat.

War Pensions Agency

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for what years the War Pensions Agency has destroyed records of service men and women who served in the Army Catering Corps;
	(2)  for what years the War Pensions Agency has retained records of service men and women who served in the Army Catering Corps;
	(3)  which classes of documents fall within the deemed destroyed range of the War Pensions Agency.

Lewis Moonie: In 1989 the War Pensions Agency carried out a retention and destruction exercise. Files were destroyed where no action had been taken on the case for more than 30 years, no pension was in payment and the claimant was over the age of 80. Files relating to former members of the Army Catering Corps which met these criteria were destroyed as part of the exercise.
	Regrettably, in some instances correct procedures were not adhered to and some files were destroyed erroneously.

Major Projects

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the slippage rate of the 18 major procurement projects outlined in the Major Projects report;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the Major Projects report.

Lewis Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House following the hearing.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the annual overhead costs of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency of (a) RAF St. Athan, (b) RAF Sealand, (c) Fleetlands and (d) Almondbank in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–2001 expressed in (1) cash terms, (2) real terms and (3) as a proportion of the income of each site.

Adam Ingram: The annual overhead costs of the DARA during 1999–2000 and 2000–01 are as follows.
	
		
			   Financial year 1999–2000  Financial year 2000–01  
			 Establishment Cash RAB(19) Cash RAB(19) 
		
		
			 RAF Sealand 8,467 10,578 7,671 13,204 
			 RAF St. Athan 20,900 26,111 18,937 32,603 
			 Fleetlands 13,882 17,342 12,577 21,654 
			 Almondbank 3,712 4,638 3,364 5,791 
		
	
	(19) Resource accounting and budgeting
	With regards to expressing these as a proportion of income, this is not possible as DARA was not a trading fund until 1 April 2001 and as such did not generate income from Ministry of Defence work prior to this date.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the repair turn round times in the Defence Aviation Repair Agency, at (a) RAF St. Athan, (b) RAF Sealand, (c) Fleetlands and (d) Almondbank in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Aviation Repair Agency has many thousands of items to which measured turn round times (TRTs) apply and it would only be possible to list all of these items and their TRTs individually at disproportionate cost.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel were employed at DARA in (a) RAF St. Athan, (b) RAF Sealand, (c) Fleetlands and (d) Almondbank on 1 November.

Adam Ingram: The following numbers of personnel were employed at the Defence Aviation Repair Agency sites on 1 November 2001:
	
		
			 Location Personnel 
		
		
			 RAF St. Athan 2,521 
			 RAF Sealand 1,114 
			 Almondbank 336 
			 Sealand 1,036 
		
	
	Please note these figures to not include RAF support units at St. Athan or Sealand or other lodger units on sites.

Cluster Bombs

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to encourage an international ban on the use of cluster bombs.

Adam Ingram: It would not be appropriate or realistic to take steps to encourage an international ban on the use of cluster bombs. They are a legitimate weapon that provide a capability against certain targets which cannot be effectively achieved in other ways. We are aware of concerns that have been expressed about the humanitarian effort of unexploded cluster bomblets and are exploring in the context of the 1980 UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) how this can be minimised.

Cluster Bombs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to work to implement the recommendations of the International Committee of the Red Cross on the use of cluster bombs.

Adam Ingram: The International Committee of the Red Cross have proposed limitations on the use of cluster bombs in the context of their proposal for a protocol on explosive remnants of war to the 1980 UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, for which the review conference will be held on 11 to 21 December. The United Kingdom will work for a positive outcome to minimise the risk to civilians from unexploded weapons, including cluster bombs.

Depleted Uranium

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for what reason test firing using depleted uranium contaminated gun barrels from Eskmeals was carried out at Shoeburyness; who authorised the transfer of the gun barrels; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 514W, on depleted uranium, how many rounds were fired in the tests; and how many were recovered;
	(3)  what environmental impact assessment was carried out, and by whom, before depleted uranium contaminated gun barrels from Eskmeals were used in test firing at Shoeburyness;
	(4)  who was the radiation protection adviser; for which organisation he or she worked; whether the Defence Radiology Protection Service was (a) consulted and (b) involved; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 30 November 2001
	Test firing using depleted uranium (DU) contaminated gun barrels is required as part of the effectiveness and safety trials to determine the effect of firing a variety of rounds through worn barrels. The Challenger II tank worn barrel trial is planned to commence in January 2002. The trial involves firing a range of non-DU based ammunition natures such as high explosive and training rounds. The trial will involve the use of barrels that have not fired DU rounds as well as those that have. More recently, between 20 to 29 November, one gun barrel stored at QinetiQ Eskmeals, that had fired DU in the past, was used in a CHARM 3 Training Round (a non-DU round) trial at the Shoeburyness ranges. Test firing is being carried out at Shoeburyness because it meets the minimum firing distance required and provides a round recovery facility and a suitable cost-effective solution. There is no reason on health and safety grounds why the work cannot be carried out at this site.
	No specific authorisation to transfer barrels allocated to support these trials is needed. Each barrel that has fired DU in the past has a record annotated accordingly and is accompanied with appropriate precautionary advice.
	In the November trial, 71 rounds were fired and none were recovered. The worn barrel trial in January is planned to use 184 rounds and it is planned to recover some rounds to ascertain any effects on the round's stability and performance. Recovered rounds fired will be monitored for DU.
	No environmental impact assessment was undertaken immediately before the CHARM3 training round trial and none is planned for the worn barrel trial. However, a risk assessment for the routine use of DU contaminated barrels was carried out by the Department's Radiation Protection Adviser, the then DERA Radiation Protection Services, in May 2000. Although this assessment concludes that no DU will be released from the barrel, environmental monitoring was conducted at the start, during and after the firings on 20 November. This involved a base line survey taking soil and grass samples and monitoring around the gun, passive air sampling, and a swab sample of the inside of the barrel when firing was complete. The monitoring will also be conducted in support of the worn barrel trial.
	The barrels used at Shoeburyness were monitored before transfer. The monitoring in this case showed that the barrels contained less than 10 kilobecquerels of DU and thus confirmed that the material presented very little risk. This conclusion is based on the generic risk assessment conducted in May 2000, which is applicable to all barrels containing less than 10 kilobecquerels of DU.

Gibraltar (Service Bases)

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Spanish Government over the (a) joint use and (b) joint decision making of the (i) naval base and (ii) RAF base at Gibraltar.

Adam Ingram: None.

Project SLAM

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of Project SLAM.

Lewis Moonie: Project SLAM forms a key part of the Single Living Accommodation improvements for the services that was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 14 March 2001, Official Report, column 600W. The project represents over half of the total programme and primarily covers service establishments in England and Wales. Accommodation in Scotland may be part of SLAM or will be part of the regional prime contract for estate services, and separate projects are dealing with Northern Ireland and overseas.
	Four consortiums are bidding for a single prime contract worth £0.5 billion over five years. There will also be an opportunity, subject to satisfactory performance, for the contract to be extended for a further £0.5 billion over five years. An invitation to tender was issued to bidders on 30 November 2001.
	The consortiums invited to tender for this work are:
	Amec
	Carillion
	Debut, comprising Bovis Lend Lease and Unicorn
	Prime Solutions, a large consortium led by CITEX.
	We expect to award the contract in autumn 2002.

Project Whirlwind

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with Project Whirlwind; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Project Whirlwind is an initiative in integrated supply chain management for the repair of aircraft capital spares items.
	A Heads of Agreement document was signed by DARA and BAE Systems on 15 August 2001, which included an intention to investigate moving towards a formal partnering agreement. Discussions on the terms of a partnering agreement continue.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Custody Arrests

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many custody arrests were made in (a) Chorley and (b) Skelmersdale in the last three years.

John Denham: Information on the number of arrests for notifiable offences is collected centrally at police force area level only. Available information shows that in 1999–2000 there were 37,535 arrests for notifiable offences within the Lancashire police force area. Information for earlier years is not available on a consistent basis. Figures for 2000–01 will be available in due course.

Asylum Seekers

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been detained for more than seven days in the last two years in Northern Ireland; and on what grounds these individuals were detained.

Angela Eagle: The available information relates to persons detained under Immigration Act powers as at 30 June 2001. As at that date, there were less than five persons who had sought asylum at some stage who had been detained for more than seven days in Northern Ireland.
	I regret that information on the grounds for detention of individual detainees, and the requested information on asylum seekers detained for more than seven days in the last two years in Northern Ireland is not available and could only be obtained by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost. However, in general terms detention would have been on the grounds that the persons concerned were in the process of being removed from the United Kingdom, their identities and the basis of their claim needed to be established, or it was believed that they would not comply with the terms of temporary admission or release.

Communications Data

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis he has conducted to ensure the provisions relating to retention and use of communications data traffic are consistent with the provisions of the (a) Data Protection Act 1998, (b) Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999 and (c) Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I am satisfied that the code of practice relating to the retention of communications data as provided for in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill will be drafted in such a way as to be fully compliant with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999 and the Human Rights Act 1998. We will consult the Information Commissioner to help ensure that this is achieved.
	Access to communications data will in future be regulated by Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, which requires that access be necessary and proportionate.

Communications Data

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the voluntary Code of Practice proposed in clause 11 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill will provide protection for the UK communications provider industry against challenges under the Data Protection Act 1998.

David Blunkett: The code of practice and agreements proposed in part 11 of the Anti-Terrorism Crime Security Bill will be drafted in a way which is compatible with data protection and human rights legislation. For the code to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, data retained under it should only be kept for a period which is necessary and proportionate to the purposes for which it is kept.
	We will consult the Information Commissioner to help ensure that the drafting of the voluntary code is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act.

Auld Report

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the proposal in the Auld report that evidence of a defendant's previous convictions will ordinarily be admissible in criminal proceedings.

Keith Bradley: In the report of his review of the criminal courts, Lord Justice Auld recommends consideration of the Law Commission's report on evidence of bad character in criminal proceedings, published on 9 October. We welcomed the Law Commission's thorough and comprehensive work on this topic and will carefully consider the way forward in light of the report, Sir Robin's recommendations and the outcome of the public consultation on the review of criminal courts currently in progress.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will forward to the Immigration and Appellate Authority the appeal papers in respect of Nasira Bibi, date of birth 4 August 1974.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 30 November 2001
	I understand that Mrs. Bibi's appeal papers were sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority on 17 October 2001 and that a preliminary hearing took place on 22 November 2001.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be made by Immigration and Nationality Directorate on application F220282, lodged on 19 June.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 30 November 2001
	On 27 November 2001 my officials wrote to my hon. Friend explaining that a decision has been made in Mrs. Bibi's case and that her file has been passed to the relevant department in order that her stay can be regularised.

Police Numbers

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the numerical establishment has been for (a) police officers and (b) special constables based in the Bexley division of the Metropolitan Police Service, in each year since 1996.

John Denham: The information requested has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Year to December Police officers(20) Budgeted workforce totals(21) Civilian support staff 
		
		
			 1996 287 n/a 87 
			 1997 283 n/a 79 
			 1998 274 n/a 74 
			 1999 281 277 70 
			 2000 306 310 69 
			 2001(22) 322 328 70 
		
	
	(20) Actual officers in post.
	(21) These are the numbers of officers for which the force have budgeted.
	(22) To October.
	Note
	All figures are full-time equivalents
	I am also informed that there are approximately 25 special constables currently attached to Bexley division. The metropolitan police service do not hold historical figures for special constables.

Departmental Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards tackling attrition in the criminal justice system and the cost to public funds in doing so.

Keith Bradley: Various initiatives funded in the Spending Review 2000 are expected to reduce attrition, but are unlikely to begin to have a significant effect until 2001–02. The most important of these are the expansion of the DNA database, the provision of additional scene of crime support, and increased police recruitment, funded from the Crime Fighting Fund. Additional funding of £16.3 million has also been provided to criminal justice services for 2001–02 to cover the increase in workload expected to flow from improved performance. However, it is not possible to disaggregate the total cost of bringing offences to justice.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress toward the public service agreement target for promoting an inclusive society with equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all.

David Blunkett: The Government are committed to promoting and improving race equality in a number of ways and the promotion of race equality within the provision of services to the public is a key priority. In support of this priority, the Government are driving forward a programme of initiatives to provide a new legislative and administrative framework to deliver improvements to race equality in the public sector.
	The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 provided new laws for race equality and strengthened the Race Relations Act 1976, outlawing race discrimination in all public functions, with only limited exceptions. Orders laid before Parliament on 24 October extend the list of bodies to which the general duty applies and impose specific duties on key public bodies to ensure their better compliance with the general duty.
	The Government will publish their third edition of Race Equality indicators on public services early next year. Race Equality in Public Services is an annual publication which brings together key performance management data from across the range of government departments. The basket of indicators included in the document will be used to measure progress in achieving race equality.
	The first edition was published in March 2000, the second in February 2001. The third edition is due to be published in February/March 2002.
	The Government believe that these measures provide a framework for increasing the representation of minority ethnic communities in public life.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing staff sickness rates in his Department.

David Blunkett: The Civil Service Sickness Absence Report 1998 recorded the Department's baseline figure as 10.4 working days. The Prison Service baseline figure is 13.9 days.
	The Home Office and its agencies have introduced new guidelines, policies and procedures with a view to reducing sickness absence. The Department's Service Delivery Targets for April 2001 to March 2004, which include a target for sickness absence, were published on Friday, 3 November 2000 and are available on the Home Office website. The targets are to reduce sickness absence, and sustain this improvement thereafter in the:
	Home Office and its agencies (excluding the Prison Service) to an average of 6.9 working days by the end of March 2003.
	Prison Service to an average of 9.0 days per member of staff by 2004.
	The current sickness absence rate in the Home Office and its agencies (excluding the Prison Service) is 8.5 working days. In the Prison Service it is 13.7 working days.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters his Department received from right hon. and hon. Members between 20 June and 20 July.

David Blunkett: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Information on the volume of correspondence from Members of Parliament received by ministerial agency chief executives, and departments and agencies and performance in handling them is published annually by the Cabinet Office. The most recent report, covering 2000, was announced by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 April 2001, Official Report, column 325W. Between 20 June and 20 July, the volume of correspondence received in the Home Office from right hon. and hon. Members was 1,537.

Criminal Assets Recovery Agency

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency.

Bob Ainsworth: Our current estimate is that it will cost approximately £3 million to establish the Agency and that its annual running costs will be around £13 million, assuming around 100 staff. This estimate covers both the Agency's operational activities and the training and accreditation services which its centre of excellence will provide to other agencies. Based on current assumptions about caseloads and amounts available for recovery, the Government expect that the Agency's receipts will exceed its running costs.
	The figures given above are subject to revision as our planning for the Agency develops. They do not take into account the possibility, currently under discussion, that the Agency should assume a major role in the enforcement of confiscation orders other than those that it has itself obtained.

European Arrest Warrant

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his intention to use the powers proposed in the draft Council Framework Decision on the European arrest warrant; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Yes.

Magistrates Court

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants who had pleaded guilty were sent by magistrates court for sentencing in a Crown court in each year since 1995.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Information collected centrally by the Home Department does not include details on defendants' plea at magistrates courts.

D. I. John Redgrave

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cause of the Metropolitan Police's delay in making a substantive reply to the letter sent to them on 25 April by lawyers acting for D. I. John Redgrave, and which was addressed to Inspector E. Owsley of DPS; and what was the date of the despatch of the substantive reply.

John Denham: holding answer 3 December 2001
	I am informed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that a substantive reply was provided to lawyers acting for Detective Inspector John Redgrave on 5 November 2001.
	The delay in providing this reply was caused by the need to seek legal advice on the complex issue involved. A change of solicitor dealing with the matter extended the time taken to receive the advice.

MI5

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rules apply to whether serving officers of M15 may belong to private security firms or associations made up of them.

David Blunkett: holding answer 29 November 2001
	Serving officers of the Security Service may not join private security firms or associations of them, or engage in any other form of employment, without prior approval. The rules governing approval reflect those that apply to Civil Servants and take account of any potential conflict with the Service's interests and other matters such as the Working Time Regulations.

Internet

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on policing unsuitable material on the Internet; and what legislation is in place to enable it to do so.

Beverley Hughes: The Government's policy is that legislation should apply to illegal material online in the same way as it applies offline, and that legislation should be technology neutral. Legislation is kept under constant review to ensure it remains effective both offline and online.
	The wider issue of unsuitable material on the Internet—material that is not illegal but is open to subjective interpretation, such as adult material—is one that the Government is addressing together with industry and industry bodies to ensure that consumers are able to manage their own Internet experience. Informed users can install Internet rating and filtering software on their computers and make choices between full Internet access and selective or 'walled garden' access. To help inform parents about these choices the Government have published a booklet "Keeping your child safe on the Internet". The advice is also available online at www.wiseuptothenet.co.uk.

Supporting Families

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the policy proposals set out in the document Supporting Families (a) have been implemented, (b) are timetabled to be implemented, (c) have no date for implementation and (d) have been abandoned.

Angela Eagle: I will write to my hon. Friend with a report on progress to date, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

Anti-war March

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on how the Metropolitan Police calculated the number of demonstrators who took part in the anti-war march from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square on 18 November.

John Denham: The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis informs me that it is established practice to use hand tally counters to determine numbers of people participating in marches in London. If the march enters Trafalgar Square crowd density measurements are used to reckon the numbers present.
	On 18 November 2001 these methods identified 12,000 people leaving Hyde Park en route to Trafalgar Square and 15,000 people within Trafalgar Square.

Metropolitan Police Funding

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the impact of the level of central Government funding of the Metropolitan Police Authority in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 on the expected increase in the MPA element of the GLA precept on council tax in London in 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: It is not Government policy to make such predictions. Decisions on the level at which the police precept for 2002–03 is set are a matter for the Greater London Authority after consultation with its local electorate and taxpayers.
	The level at which the precept is set will be influenced not only by levels of revenue support grant, re-distributed non-domestic rates and police grant for 2002–03 but also by the use of any financial reserves the Metropolitan Police Authority puts towards its budget. Details of the provisional police funding settlement for 2002–03 will be announced shortly.

Justice and Home Affairs Council

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those proposals under discussion at JHA Council level that contain elements of the Corpus Juris package; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: None of the specific proposals in the Corpus Juris package are under discussion in the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council. However, the Corpus Juris report included a proposal for a European arrest warrant, to be issued by a national judge on the instructions of the European Public Prosecutor. A different proposal for a European arrest warrant is now under discussion in the JHA Council. The current proposal is based on the principle of mutual recognition and does not involve any role for the European Public Prosecutor.

Police (Cheshire)

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police (a) officers and (b) constables there were per head of population in Cheshire in each of the last 10 years.

John Denham: The information requested is set out in the table in the form of population per officer.
	
		
			  Year(23) Population per officer(24) Population per constable(24) 
		
		
			 1991 507 674 
			 1992 516 684 
			 1993 507 678 
			 1994 511 669 
			 1995 505 656 
			 1996 490 628 
			 1997 479 616 
			 1998 481 613 
			 1999 475 613 
			 2000 489 639 
			 2001 491 641 
		
	
	(23) Police numbers figures are for 31 March each year from Home Office police strength returns.
	(24) Population estimates are provided by the Office for National Statistics.

Local Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those local bodies which were set up under legislation which is the responsibility of his Department since May 1997.

David Blunkett: The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library.

Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the public appointments he has made since 7 June.

David Blunkett: The table lists the appointments my Department has made to public bodies between 7 June 2001 and 31 October 2001.
	It is the practice not to publish the names of those appointed to the Boards of Visitors in England and Wales because of concerns for their personal safety, but 121 new appointments were made between 7 June 2001 and 31 October 2001.
	
		
			 Body/name Position 
		
		
			 Animal Procedures Committee  
			 Dr. Michael Festing Member 
			 Dr. Robert Hubrecht Member 
			 Dr. Timothy Morris Member 
			   
			 Parole Board  
			 His Hon. Judge Timothy Lawrence(25) Member 
			 Mr. Kofi Appiah(25) Member 
			 Mr. Michael Hennessey(25) Member 
			 Mrs. Lesley Hilton(25) Member 
			 Mr. Anthony Pembrooke(25) Member 
			 Mr. Mohammed Pirani(25) Member 
			 Dr. Simon Wood(25) Member 
			 Her Hon. Judge Estalla Hindley(25) Member 
			 Dr. Judith MacKenzie(25) Member 
			 His Hon. Judge John MacNaught(25) Member 
			 His Hon. Judge David Pugsley(25) Member 
			 Mrs. Judith Pitchers(25) Member 
			 Mr. John Staples(25) Member 
			 Mr. Robert Mathers(25) Member 
			 Ms Assia King(25) Member 
			 Dr. Abdul Sheikh(25) Member 
			 Dr. Susan Davenport(25) Member 
			 His Hon. Judge Jeremy Connor(25) Member 
			 Dr. David Mawson Member 
			 Mr. David Mylan Member 
			 Mr. Peter Palmer Member 
			 Mrs. Jo Turnbull Member 
			 Ms Josephine Dobry Member 
			 Dr. Anne Worrall Member 
			 Professor Roy King Member 
			 Mrs. Jane Geraghty Member 
			 Mrs. Diana Fulbrook Member 
			 Mrs. Sylvia Peach Member 
			 Dr. Claire Barkley Member 
			 Dr. Carol Hedderman Member 
			 Dr. Ann Barker Member 
			 Dr. Lawrence Chesterman Member 
			 Dr. Chris Hunter Member 
			 Dr. Ardash Kaul Member 
			 Dr. Richard O'Flynn Member 
			 His Hon. Judge Keith Cutler Member 
			 His Hon. Judge Kerry MacGill Member 
			 His Hon. Judge Gareth Hawkesworth Member 
			 His Hon. Judge Stephen Robbins Member 
			 His Hon. Judge Graham Boal Member 
			 Mr. Stephen Murphy Member 
			 Professor Andrew Rutherford Member 
			   
			 Police Complaints Authority  
			 Mrs. Molly Meacher(25) Deputy Chair 
			 Ms Mehmuda Mian(25) Member 
			 Miss Sally Hawkins Member 
			 Mrs. Elaine Rassaby Member 
			 Mrs. Jennifer Rogers Member 
			 Ms Nicola Williams Member 
			 Mrs. Ann Barker Member 
			   
			 Police Information Technology Organisation  
			 Mr. Peter Wilson Member 
			 Mr. Bruce McDowell Member 
			   
			 Youth Justice Board for England and Wales  
			 Mrs. Annabella Scott(25) Member 
			 Mr. Charles Wilson(25) Member 
			 Ms Joyce Moseley(25) Member 
			 Mr. Cedric Fullwood(25) Member 
		
	
	(25) Reappointment

Special Advisers and Press Officers

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full time, (ii) part time and (iii) on a contract basis by his Department in each year since 1992.

David Blunkett: (a) On the number of special advisers, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 340W.
	(b) On the number of press officers, detailed staff profiles for the period prior to 1997 are not held centrally and the cost of providing this information would be disproportionate as it would require the Home Office pay branch to conduct a detailed search of all staff records for the periods in question. Payroll records would not, in any event, provide accurate press officer staffing levels which throughout the period in question were enhanced by attachments and secondments, some at nil cost to the Department, and would not necessarily have been reflected in payroll information.
	For numbers of press officers currently employed full and part time at the Home Office I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 49W.
	Staffing levels for the years 1997 to 2000 were as follows:
	May 1997: three senior information officers, 10 information officers (two part time) one assistant information officer, a higher executive officer on secondment.
	January 1998: three senior information officers, 11 information officers (two part time).
	January 1999: two senior information officers, eight information officers (two part time), three assistant information officers, a higher executive officer on secondment.
	January 2000: three senior information officers, six information officers, three assistant information officers, one higher executive officer on secondment.
	For all these periods the Home Office press office was managed by an assistant director at either grade seven or temporary grade six level.

National Crime Squad

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of funding he will make available to the (a) National Crime Squad and (b) National Criminal Intelligence Service in 2002–03.

David Blunkett: I am writing today to the chairman of the Service Authority for the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad to inform him how I propose to increase the funding for the two organisations.
	Under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, the principal method of funding the two organisations is now one of grant in aid from the Home Office.
	In reaching my decision, I have taken into account the proposals put to me by the Service Authority and also the representations made to me by the Association of Police Authorities, Association of Chief Police Officers and others. I have considered all this against the background of the overall settlement for the police service.
	I have decided to make a grant of £134.05 million to the National Crime Squad in 2002–03. This is an increase of £20 million or 17.5 per cent.
	I have decided to make a grant of £68.5 million to the National Criminal Intelligence Service in 2002–03. This is an increase of £19 million or 38.4 per cent.
	The conditions under which payment of these grants will be made are set out in my letters to the chairman of the Service Authority and in the grant reports which have been published and laid before the House today. Copies have also been placed in the Library.
	For both organisations, this level of increase provides the means for a significant boost in fighting the top priorities of drug and people trafficking. More generally, the increases will enable the National Crime Squad and the National Criminal Intelligence Service to continue and enhance their crucial work in tackling serious and organised criminal activity.

Police Authorities (Funding)

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the allocations of police grant for police authorities in England and Wales for 2002–03.

John Denham: I have today placed in the Library a copy of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's proposals for allocation of police grant for 2002–03. My right hon. Friend and I intend to implement the proposals subject to consideration of any representations we receive about them, and to the approval of the House.
	We are taking the opportunity to outline the wider provision for support for the police service. This includes not only Total Standard Spending (TSS), supported by police grant and revenue support grant, but also provision for capital, specific initiatives (Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing, Airwave) and operational and administrative support directly provided by the Home Office.
	The total provision made in Spending Review 2000 for policing in 2002–03 is £9,010 million. The overall increase on provision for 2001–02 is 6.1 per cent. It builds on an increase in 2001–02 of 10.1 per cent.
	The increase in provision directly available to police authorities, for TSS, specific initiatives and capital grant and supplementary credit approvals is 5 per cent. In addition, there are increases in provision of services provided centrally for the police service—training, information technology, communications and scientific support.
	We propose to distribute the settlement as follows:
	
		Table 1
		
			  2001–02 2002–03  Change  
			  £ million(26) £ million(26) £ million(26) Percentage 
		
		
			 Total SR2000 provision 8,495 9,010 515 6.1 
			 This comprises: 
			 1. Direct funding for police authorities 
			 Total standard spending(27) 7,568 7,777 209 2.8 
			 Specific initiatives 229 349 120 51.4 
			 Capital 232 310 78 33.6 
			  
			  8,029 8,436 407 5.0 
			 2. Centrally provided services 91 167 76 83.1 
			 3. Central administration 211 204 -7 -3.3 
			 4. NCS/NCIS 164 203 39 23.8 
			  
			 Grand total 8,495 9,010 515 6.1 
		
	
	(26) Rounded to £ million
	(27) The original 2001–02 provision has been adjusted for National Crime Squad (NCS) and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS)
	Total Standard Spending (TSS)
	Police funding proposals within the local government finance system are being announced today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. An announcement has also been made in the National Assembly for Wales. These proposals together would provide total standard spending on the police in England and Wales of £7,777.199 million, an increase of £209 million or 2.8 per cent. on the adjusted TSS for 2001–02.
	The National Crime Squad (NCS) and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) perform a valuable role in the battle against serious crime as part of the overall policing service. The NCS brought together the previous regional crime squads into a single unit, providing direction and control and making it easier to deploy resources effectively to prevent and detect serious crime and tackle major criminals operating in one or more police force areas in England and Wales. The role of NCIS is to develop intelligence to combat serious and organised crime, providing both tactical and strategic intelligence and expertise for law enforcement, Government and other relevant agencies at a national and international level. At present these services are financed mainly by a levy on police authorities set by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. From 2002–03 the services will be funded centrally. The new approach achieves transparency in the funding arrangements for the service authorities. Provision for the services in 2002–03 has been made from TSS. TSS for 2001–02 has been adjusted in the previous table to ensure comparability.
	The increase in TSS is 2.8 per cent., but increases for individual authorities vary. The formula used to determine the distribution of grant/Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) is again unchanged. The main reasons for differences between authorities result from changes in the data applied from one year to the next. These include changes in population, unemployment, projected pensions' commitments and the area cost adjustment.
	We propose that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) should continue to receive additional funding in recognition of its distinct national and capital city functions. It has proved very difficult for the principal formula to take account of these special circumstances. As in previous years a special payment of grant will be made to the MPS above that given through the principal grant formula. The amount has been set at £197 million, which is included in the total provision.
	It is proposed to make a final year's special payment of grant to the following authorities for additional costs incurred as a result of changes in Metropolitan Police District boundaries in April 2000, as follows:
	Hertfordshire: £300,000
	Surrey: £800,000.
	TSS allocations are a mechanism for distributing grant. Provisional grants for police authorities in 2002–03 compared with the adjusted figure for 2001–02 are given in table 2. Protection has been given to authorities which would otherwise have received a low grant increase over 2001–02, by applying a "floor" or minimum increase of 2.3 per cent., in line with inflation. The associated TSS allocations are given in table 3.
	The following items are not part of the annual grant settlement but demonstrate the wider range of support provided to police authorities.
	Specific initiatives
	The main items are:
	Crime Fighting Fund (CFF): through the CFF resources are being provided for a programme of recruitment over and above forces previous plans. The programme has so far lived up to expectations. £221 million is included in 2002–03 to continue funding around 6,000 recruits from 2000–01 to 2001–02 and to support a further 3,000 to be recruited in 2002–03.
	Rural Policing Fund: as in 2001–02, £30 million is provided for the particular needs of more rural forces through the rural policing fund.
	Airwave: £65 million will be available for the start-up operational costs of authorities taking Airwave in 2002–03 and to enable those forces who have the Airwave service to purchase additional menu services from BT.
	London and South East Payments: £33 million in total is provided for funding of free train travel for all Metropolitan and City of London officers; funding of 75 per cent. of the cost of the increase of £3,327 a year in London allowance paid to officers in the Metropolitan and City of London forces who were recruited on or after 1 September 1994 and who are not in receipt of housing emoluments, and an allowance for other forces in the south-east.
	Police Authority Capital
	The main items are as follows:
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I intend to increase provision of capital grant and supplementary credit approvals from £157.43 million in 2001–02 to £209.43 million in 2002–03. The increase is substantial, and police authorities will be asked to direct a significant proportion of the extra provision towards improvement of their estate, as well as providing for other capital assets such as vehicles and equipment.
	Capital grants (up to £76 million) for introduction to Airwave will be made available to those authorities taking up the radio communications service in 2002–03. Similar arrangements were made for 2001–02 and will be made for 2003–04.
	Centrally Provided Services
	The main elements are CFF training costs (£23 million); DNA expansion programme (£61 million); The Airwave contractor's core service charges (£50 million); and the National Strategy for Police Information Systems (£27 million).
	Central Administration
	These include Home Office costs attributable to policing such as the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) and National Police Training facilities.
	Enhanced security since 11 September Additional provision of £30 million has also been made through the pre-Budget review for the police response during the current year to events of 11 September in the United States of America. We are considering further any longer term implications for policing.
	The settlement continues to take account of our commitment to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the police service. Future grant allocations will be considered in the light of police authorities improving efficiency by 2 per cent., reprioritising use of resources in favour of front-line policing.
	In addition to the resources which I have detailed specifically for policing, police forces share in and benefit from various wider programmes for crime reduction. For example, since April 1999, under the Crime Reduction Programme, over £390 million has been invested in the running and evaluation of over 1,450 crime-fighting projects. These will provide an evidence base on what methods, employed by the police and their crime and disorder partners, are the most effective in tackling crime and its causes.
	
		Table 2: grant allocations
		
			   Allocations(28)  
			 Police authority 2001–02 (£ million) 2002–03 (£ million) Percentage change 
		
		
			 English Shire forces
			 Avon and Somerset 148.3 152.4 2.7 
			 Bedfordshire 55.8 57.5 3.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 66.0 67.5 2.3 
			 Cheshire 96.4 98.9 2.6 
			 Cleveland 77.7 80.1 3.0 
			 Cumbria 54.1 55.6 2.8 
			 Derbyshire 91.3 95.0 4.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 152.4 156.9 2.9 
			 Dorset 58.2 59.6 2.5 
			 Durham 75.7 77.7 2.7 
			 Essex 147.4 150.8 2.3 
			 Gloucestershire 53.9 55.3 2.5 
			 Hampshire 173.3 178.9 3.2 
			 Hertfordshire 96.0 98.6 2.7 
			 Humberside 103.4 105.8 2.3 
			 Kent 167.3 171.1 2.3 
			 Lancashire 163.7 168.5 2.9 
			 Leicestershire 92.0 94.6 2.8 
			 Lincolnshire 55.5 56.8 2.3 
			 Norfolk 74.2 76.8 3.5 
			 North Yorkshire 66.6 68.1 2.3 
			 Northamptonshire 57.8 59.1 2.3 
			 Nottinghamshire 115.6 118.3 2.3 
			 Staffordshire 100.0 102.6 2.5 
			 Suffolk 60.4 61.8 2.3 
			 Surrey 80.7 82.5 2.3 
			 Sussex 144.8 148.3 2.5 
			 Thames Valley 194.7 199.2 2.3 
			 Warwickshire 45.6 46.6 2.3 
			 West Mercia 98.7 101.0 2.3 
			 Wiltshire 55.4 56.6 2.3 
			 
			  English Metropolitan forces  
			 Greater Manchester 352.9 362.5 2.7 
			 Merseyside 223.6 228.7 2.3 
			 Northumbria 199.3 203.9 2.3 
			 South Yorkshire 160.1 163.8 2.3 
			 West Midlands 358.0 368.1 2.8 
			 West Yorkshire 268.8 275.6 2.5 
			 
			 London forces
			 GLA—all functions(29) 1,882.5 1,943.0 3.2 
			 City of London(29)
			 English total 6,468.1 6,648.2 2.8 
			 
			 Welsh forces
			 Dyfed-Powys 45.6 47.0 3.0 
			 Gwent 63.6 65.9 3.6 
			 North Wales 67.6 69.2 2.3 
			 South Wales 150.4 156.2 3.9 
			 Welsh total 327.2 338.3 3.4 
			 
			 Total 6,795.3 6,986.5 2.8 
		
	
	(28) Rounded to the nearest £100,000. Grant as would be calculated under the Local Government Finance Report (England) and Local Government Finance Report (Wales). This includes the Metropolitan police special payment, and the effects of floors and ceilings. Debt Charges adjustments are added to the 2001–02 grant figures for England.
	(29) Figures for the City are excluded because these are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions. GLA is included but it includes all functions (eg fire)
	Notes:
	1. Because of the transfer of responsibilities for NCIS/NCS, the total available for distribution has been adjusted for 2001–02 to ensure like-to-like comparison with 2002–03.
	2. Special payments for transitional costs associated with changes to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District from 1 April 2000.
	3. Capital Financing SSAs as would be calculated under the Local Government Finance Report (England) and Local Government Finance Report (Wales).
	
		Table 3: total standard spending
		
			   Allocations(30)  
			 Police authority 2001–02 (£ million) 2002–03 (£ million) Percentage change 
		
		
			 English Shire forces
			 Avon and Somerset 177.5 182.8 3.0 
			 Bedfordshire 66.5 68.6 3.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 79.5 81.6 2.6 
			 Cheshire 116.0 119.3 2.9 
			 Cleveland 86.8 89.6 3.2 
			 Cumbria 63.4 65.3 3.0 
			 Derbyshire 108.6 113.3 4.3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 183.8 189.6 3.2 
			 Dorset 73.4 75.5 2.9 
			 Durham 85.6 88.0 2.8 
			 Essex 181.2 185.0 2.0 
			 Gloucestershire 65.5 67.3 2.8 
			 Hampshire 209.2 216.3 3.4 
			 Hertfordshire 120.2 123.4 2.6 
			 Humberside 118.5 121.1 2.2 
			 Kent 199.9 204.9 2.5 
			 Lancashire 188.8 194.8 3.1 
			 Leicestershire 108.3 111.6 3.0 
			 Lincolnshire 67.1 68.9 2.6 
			 Norfolk 89.5 92.7 3.7 
			 North Yorkshire 82.2 84.3 2.5 
			 Northamptonshire 69.4 71.1 2.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 133.2 136.4 2.4 
			 Staffordshire 119.0 122.3 2.8 
			 Suffolk 73.3 75.3 2.6 
			 Surrey 108.6 110.2 1.5 
			 Sussex 177.8 182.6 2.7 
			 Thames Valley 239.8 245.5 2.4 
			 Warwickshire 55.8 56.7 1.6 
			 West Mercia 121.6 124.3 2.2 
			 Wiltshire 67.9 69.2 1.9 
			 
			  English Metropolitan forces  
			 Greater Manchester 395.8 407.2 2.9 
			 Merseyside 247.2 253.0 2.3 
			 Northumbria 222.7 227.4 2.1 
			 South Yorkshire 180.8 184.6 2.2 
			 West Midlands 400.9 412.6 2.9 
			 West Yorkshire 304.0 312.4 2.8 
			 
			 London forces   
			 GLA—all functions(31) 1,788.0 1,841.1 3.0 
			 City of London(32) 55.1 59.1 7.2 
			 English total 7,232.3 7,434.7 2.8 
			 
			 Welsh forces
			 Dyfed-Powys 55.1 56.9 3.3 
			 Gwent 73.5 76.2 3.7 
			 North Wales 80.5 82.1 2.0 
			 South Wales 172.3 179.1 4.0 
			 Welsh total 381.4 394.4 3.4 
			 
			 Total 7,613.7 7,829.0 2.8 
		
	
	(30) Rounded to the nearest £100,000. The Allocation is the sum of: Police Grant, Transitional Grant, Police SSA, and Capital Finance SSA. Figures for Capital Finance SSA are provisional.
	(31) Figures for the Metropolitan police include its Special Payment.
	(32) Figure for the City include Police SSA and Police Grant only and excludes other SSAs (eg Capital Financing) and Central Support Protection Grant. These are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions.
	Note:
	Because of the transfer of responsibilities for NCIS/NCS, the total available for distribution has been adjusted for 2001–02 to ensure like-to-like comparison with 2002–03.

Departmental Spending

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total amount of spending by his Department was in each nation and region of the UK, in the last year for which figures are available; what proportion of his Department's total spending this constitutes; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 854W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

New Deal (Civil Service)

James Clappison: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Mr. Shaw) of 28 November 2001, Official Report, column 901W, what proportion the new deal starts in each Government Department were of the total number of employees recruited by the Department over the relevant period; and how many of the new deal starts were followed by sustained unsubsidised employment.

Christopher Leslie: The information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Government

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish a paper on regional Government in England.

Barbara Roche: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 80W.

Civil Service

Adam Price: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time posts in the UK Civil Service are based in each parliamentary constituency.

Christopher Leslie: Information is available for the countries and Government Office regions of Great Britain. Data for full-time equivalent posts are published in "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. The latest information, for April 2000, was published in August this year. Data for full-time posts, excluding part-timers, is contained in the table.
	The data are not collected in a form which can be disaggregated to parliamentary constituencies in Great Britain, and therefore the information is not available except at disproportionate cost. Figures for the Northern Ireland Civil Service are given in the table.
	
		Full-time civil servants employed by Departments and agencies in Great Britain, by country/region of workplace
		
			 Government office regions Numbers of staff 
		
		
			 London 79,960 
			 South East 51,870 
			 South West 46,130 
			 West Midlands 29,450 
			 North West 34,340 
			 Merseyside 14,150 
			 North East 24,440 
			 Yorks and Humberside 30,810 
			 East Midlands 18,060 
			 Eastern 25,410 
			 Wales 27,410 
			 Scotland 42,100 
			 Northern Ireland 5,030 
			 Overseas 2,380 
			 Not known 4,400 
			  
			 Total 435,930 
		
	
	
		Full-time Northern Ireland civil service posts by parliamentary constituency
		
			  Numbers of NICS(33) staff 
		
		
			 Belfast, East 4,940 
			 Belfast, North 1,470 
			 Belfast, South 7,800 
			 Belfast, West 1,510 
			 East Antrim 450 
			 East Londonderry 1,060 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 890 
			 Foyle 1,410 
			 Lagan Valley 580 
			 Mid Ulster 310 
			 Newry and Armagh 660 
			 North Antrim 890 
			 North Down 840 
			 South Antrim 450 
			 South Down 620 
			 Strangford 210 
			 Upper Bann 920 
			 West Tyrone 820 
			 Constituency unknown 80 
			 Total 25,900 
		
	
	(33) Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) staff enumerated at 1 January 2001. Includes industrial and non-industrial, permanent and casual staff but excludes the following: those working part-time or on career break, Home Civil Servants, Northern Ireland Audit Office, Northern Ireland Court Service and uniformed Prison Service. Parliamentary constituency of staff refers to the location of the office or depot where staff are based.

e-Commerce Targets

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will rank Government Departments in respect of their performance in meeting e-commerce targets; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 30 November 2001, Official Report, column 1200W.

People's Panel

Mark Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 896W, on the People's Panel, if he will list (a) the title, purpose and cost of projects that have been commissioned from the panel between 1 November and the latest date for which figures are available and (b) ongoing projects being carried out by the panel in the same period.

Christopher Leslie: Since 1 November a sixth wave of consumer research using the panel ("People's Panel Wave 6") has been commissioned. The purpose is to complete a series of surveys tracking satisfaction with public services. The cost of the research is £73,200 excluding VAT.
	The panel has been involved with no on-going projects during this period.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Grant-maintained Protection Grant

Paul Daisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will ensure that (a) the grant-maintained protection grant is maintained in 2002–03.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Bearing in mind the additional resources to be made available to local education authorities in 2002–03 as a result of the local government finance settlement to be announced on 4 December and the likelihood of a further general reduction in the amount of transitional funding payable by LEAs to former GM schools, my right hon. Friend considers that there are insufficient grounds for continuing to pay LEAs a special grant in respect of transitional funding in the face of other claims on the resources available to the Department.

Specialist Schools (Selection)

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list each specialist school as at 1 September that had chosen to exercise the option to select up to 10 per cent. of pupils by aptitude together with (a) the nature of the specialism, (b) the status of the school, (c) the percentage of pupils selected, (d) the percentage of pupils with statements and (e) the percentage of pupils receiving free school meals.

Stephen Timms: The latest available information on aptitude selection is for school year 1999–2000. The following table shows the specialist schools which had selected a proportion of their pupils for that year by aptitude for a subject or subjects relevant to their specialist designation, together with the specialism of each school, the school's status, the percentage of pupils selected in each school, the percentage of pupils with statements and the percentage of all pupils receiving free school meals.
	
		Specialist schools: selection by aptitude
		
			 Percentage of:  
			  School  LEA  Specialism  School's Status pupils selected on aptitude  pupils with statements  free school meals take-up 
		
		
			 Archbishop Blanch Liverpool Technology Voluntary aided 5.6 17. 11.7 
			 Archbishop Temple Lancashire Technology Voluntary aided 10.0 1.5 8.6 
			 Bohunt Hampshire Language Foundation 10.0 0.7 1.5 
			 Brentwood Ursuline Convent Essex Arts Voluntary aided 10.0 0.1 4.1 
			 Chaucer Technology Kent Technology Foundation Up to 100 1.8 6.1 
			 Chestnut Grove Wandsworth Arts Community 16.0 4.2 20.3 
			 Cornwallis Kent Technology Foundation 10.0 3.6 6.1 
			 Deacon's Peterborough, City Technology Foundation 15.0 1.5 13.4 
			 George Spencer GM Nottinghamshire Technology Foundation 10.0 0.7 3.5 
			 Heathside Surrey Technology Foundation 4.0 1.2 2.3 
			 Hockerill Anglo European Hertfordshire Language Foundation 10.0 0.7 3.5 
			 Intake High Leeds Arts Community 10.0 4.6 18.0 
			 Lodge Park Northamptonshire Technology Foundation 10.0 1.3 8.4 
			 Lynn Grove VA High Norfolk Technology Voluntary aided 15.0 0.7 7.9 
			 Mill Hill County High Barnet, LB of Technology Foundation 10.0 2.9 2.8 
			 Ninestiles Birmingham Technology Foundation 10.0 4.5 22.6 
			 Oakbank Bradford Sports Foundation 10.0 3.7 10.2 
			 Oldfield Bath and NE Somerset Sports Foundation 10.0 0.5 4.1 
			 Philip Morant Essex Technology Foundation 15.0 1.2 5.0 
			 Sandwich Technology Kent Technology Foundation 10.0 1.8 11.1 
			 Small Heath Birmingham Technology Foundation 10.0 0.9 32.9 
			 St. Margaret's C of E High Liverpool Technology Voluntary aided 15.0 1.4 4.6 
			 St. Martin's Essex Technology Foundation 10.0 0.7 5.1 
			 St. Marylebone (The) Westminster Arts Voluntary aided 10.0 1.7 11.5 
			 Wye Valley (The) Buckinghamshire Sports Community 10.0 4.4 6.6 
		
	
	Notes:
	This information was taken from progress reports submitted by 403 schools in December 2000. Progress reports for schools operational as of September 2000 are currently being received but the information from these has not yet been collated.
	The 1998 School Standards and Framework Act provides for schools with a specialism to select up to 10 per cent. of their intake on the basis of aptitude for a specialist subject prescribed in regulations. Prior to the 1998 Act schools had greater discretion over aptitude selection and this accounts for the percentages above 10 per cent.

Specialist Schools (Selection)

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of the total of specialist schools have chosen to exercise the option to select up to 10 per cent. of pupils by aptitude for each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The latest available information for specialist schools which have chosen to exercise the option to select up to 10 per cent. of pupils by aptitude is for school year 1999–2000. This is the first year for which this information has been collected. Information for 2000–01 is due to be received shortly and will be available early in the new year.
	Of the 403 Specialist Schools operational as of September 1999, 25 schools (6.2 per cent.) selected a proportion of their pupils by aptitude for a subject or subjects relevant to their specialist designation.

Departmental Spending

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure was on (a) advertising, (b) polling, (c) focus groups, (d) design consultants, (e) caterers, (f) production of departmental publications and (g) photographs/photographers by her Department for each year since 1995 in (i) cash and (ii) real terms; what was (A) the annual percentage increase in spending on each category and (B) spending on each category as a percentage of the total departmental running costs; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: For each year since 1995 the Department's spend on advertising, caterers, production of departmental publications and photographs/photographers is shown in the table.
	Within this period, the Department has not undertaken focus group or opinion polls of the general public. However it has sampled and consulted on views of teachers, Heads and other groups affected by the Department's policies on specific issues, for example literacy and numeracy strategies.
	It is not possible to separate out expenditure on design consultants. This expenditure is contained within the costs of departmental publications. Advertising costs given do not include spending by agencies.
	Some figures for 1995–96 are not available because of the merger of the Employment Department and Department for Education.
	Real term expenditure is calculated using 1999–2000 base year prices.
	All the expenditure given in the answer is from departmental programme budgets. It is not a valid comparison to give these as a percentage of departmental running costs.
	
		Advertising
		
			   Cash terms (£m) Real terms (£m) Cash terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) Real terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) 
		
		
			 1995–96 (ED) 7.7 8.6 — — 
			 1995–96 (DfE) 0.6 0.67 — — 
			 1995–96 (total) 8.3 9.27 — — 
			 1996–97 7.5 8.12 -9.64 -12.45 
			 1997–98 10.0 10.53 33.33 29.66 
			 1998–99 15.7 16.07 57.00 52.64 
			 1999–2000 11.9 11.9 -24.20 -25.95 
			 2000–01 29.0 28.43 143.70 138.92 
		
	
	
		Caterers
		
			 Year  Cash terms (£k) Real terms (£k) Cash terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) Real terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) 
		
		
			 1995–96 — — — — 
			 1996–97 970.0 1,057.17 — — 
			 1997–98 852.6 897.62 -12.10 -14.53 
			 1998–99 854.6 874.75 0.23 -2.55 
			 1999–2000 932.9 932.90 9.16 6.65 
			 2000–01 538.1 527.55 -42.32 -43.45 
		
	
	
		Departmental publications
		
			  Cash terms (£m) Real terms (£m) Cash terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) Real terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) 
		
		
			 1995–96 — — — — 
			 1996–97 2.5 2.71 — — 
			 1997–98 2.1 2.21 -16.0 -18.32 
			 1998–99 0.8 0.82 -61.90 -62.96 
			 1999–2000 2.8 2.80 250.00 241.94 
			 2000–01 2.3 2.25 -17.86 -19.47 
		
	
	
		Photographs/Photographers
		
			  Cash terms (£k) Real terms (£k) Cash terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) Real terms Annual percentage increase in spending (year on year) 
		
		
			 1995–96 63.3 70.74 — — 
			 1996–97 114.5 123.96 80.88 75.25 
			 1997–98 100.5 105.81 -12.23 -14.65 
			 1998–99 114.5 117.20 13.93 10.77 
			 1999–2000 40.8 40.80 -64.37 -65.19 
			 2000–01 72.3 70.88 77.21 73.73

Teachers

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers in East Sussex were assaulted by (a) pupils and (b) parents in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The Department does not hold these data. East Sussex local education authority has informed us that, since 1998, there have been a total of 427 physical assaults on teachers by pupils and parents in its schools, the majority by pupils in special schools. There were 97 assaults in 1998–99, 118 in 1999–2000 and 212 in 2000–01. This information does not separately identify who carried out the assaults.

Learning and Skills Councils

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to ensure that the amounts that local education authorities are required to transfer to learning and skills councils from April 2002 for post-16 education broadly matches the education standard spending assessment for that group for each local education authority.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 November 2001
	Local education authorities will, from April, receive funding for their sixth form provision from the learning and skills council (LSC). Initial funding allocations will be announced by the LSC by mid-December. The deduction from each authority's education SSA will be equal to the amount received from the LSC for sixth form funding.

Learning and Skills Councils

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to whom members of local learning and skills councils are accountable; and how.

Margaret Hodge: Members of local learning and skills councils (LSCs) are accountable to the Secretary of State through the LSC's National Council.

Learning and Skills Councils

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list those local learning and skills councils which (a) have at least one member who is a representative from the school sector and (b) have no such representative.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 13 November 2001
	All 47 local learning and skills councils include representatives with relevant experience from the school sector. These include:
	three teachers;
	17 headteachers;
	36 local LSC members appointed with a local education authority (LEA) background (typically Directors of Education);
	eight local executive directors who have previous LEA officer or head teacher experience; and
	101 local council members who are school governors.
	In addition, further experience of the schools and education sectors is brought by the vast range of other local authority representation (in most cases at council leader or chief executive level).
	In April 2002, the LSC assumes responsibility for school sixth form funding. In recognition of this we will encourage the LSC to appoint further representatives with experience of the school sector as and when local vacancies arise.
	A breakdown showing which local LSCs include representation from the schools and LEA/LA sector is given in the table.
	
		
			 Local LSC School Representatives School Governors LEA Representatives Other LA Representatives 
		
		
			 North West 
			 Cheshire/Warrington — 3 1 Elected 1 Official 
			 Cumbria — 2 2 Official 1 Elected 
			 Lancashire — 2 1 Elected 1 Official 
			 Greater Manchester — 3 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Greater Merseyside 1 2 1 Elected 1 Elected 
			  
			 West Midlands 
			 Birmingham/Solihull — 2 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 Black Country — 1 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Coventry/Warwickshire 1 5 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Hereford/Worcester 1 1 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Shropshire — 1 — 2 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Staffordshire — 3 1 Elected 1 Official 
			  
			 South West 
			 Devon/Cornwall — 2 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Bournemouth/Dorset/Poole — — 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 Gloucestershire 1 2 — 1 Official 
			 Somerset — 2 — 1 Elected 
			 2 Official 
			 Wiltshire/Swindon — 3 1 Elected 2 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 West of England 1 — — 1 Elected 
			  
			 North East 
			 County Durham 1 2 — 1 Elected  
			 1 Official 
			 Northumberland — 3 1 Official — 
			 Tees Valley — 3 — 2 Elected 
			 Tyne and Wear — 1 — 2 Elected 
			   
			 Yorkshire and Humber 
			 South Yorkshire — 1 1 Official 2 Elected  
			 1 Official 
			 North Yorkshire 1 3 1 Official 2 Elected 
			 West Yorkshire — 2 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 Humberside — 2 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			  
			 East Midlands 
			 Derbyshire — 4 1 Elected 1 Elected 
			1 Official  
			 Leicestershire — 3 2 Official 1 Elected 
			 Lincolnshire — 6 2 Official 1 Elected 
			 Northamptonshire 1 2 1 Official 2 Elected 
			 Nottinghamshire — 3 1 Elected 1 Elected 
			  
			 East of England 
			 Bedfordshire 1 4 — 2 Elected 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 4 1 Official 2 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Essex 1 1 1 Official 2 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Hertfordshire 2 — 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Norfolk 1 — 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 Suffolk 2 4 — 4 Elected 
			  
			 London 
			 Central London 1 3 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 East London — 4 1 Elected 1 Official 
			 North London 1 2 — 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 South London 1 1 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 West London — 2 — 1 Official 
			  
			 South East 
			 Berkshire — 1 1 Official 1 Official 
			 Hampshire/Portsmouth/IOW — 1 1 Official 1 Official 
			 Kent/Medway — 1 1 Official 2 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Milton Keynes — 2 2 Official 3 Elected 
			 Surrey 1 1 1 Official 1 Elected 
			 1 Official 
			 Sussex — 1 2 Official 1 Elected 
			 1 Official

Teacher Vacancies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in maintained schools in Buckinghamshire at the beginning of the current school term.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available for the date requested. In January 2001 there were 59 full-time teacher vacancies in maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Buckinghamshire.

School Sport

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what statistics she requires London local education authorities to provide to her Department to measure the level of (a) competitive sport and (b) physical education in schools.

Ivan Lewis: All local education authorities are required to submit an assessment of the standards of attainment in physical education of Key Stage 3 pupils. However, there is no statutory requirement for local education authorities to submit statistics on the level of competitive sport in schools. The Government's White Paper "Schools: Achieving Success", includes a pledge that all children have access to at least two hours a week of PE or school sport, in or after school. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's survey into good practice in physical education has included examples from a number of schools in London.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of letters received by her Department between 20 June and 20 July were replied to (a) in under 15, (b) in under 20, (c) in under 30, (d) in under 40 and (e) in over 40 working days.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Between 20 June and 20 July 2001, the Department for Education and Skills replied to a total of 7,289 letters covering both ministerial and treat official correspondence. The Department replied as shown in the table:
	
		
			   Number of replies sent Percentage of replies sent 
		
		
			 (a) in 15 working days and under 6,627 91 
			 (b) in 16 to 20 working days 270 4 
			 (c) in 21 to 30 working days 316 4 
			 (d) in 31 working days and over 76 1 
			  
			 Total 7,289 —

Children and Young People's Unit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what work is being done by the Children and Young People's Unit to include young people in Whitehall policy formulation.

John Denham: I have been asked to reply.
	On 2 November I published "Learning to Listen: Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People" which sets out principles Government Departments have agreed to follow in their work to involve children and young people in the planning, provision and evaluation of Government policies and services relevant to them. The Children and Young People's Unit developed the principles in close consultation with Government Departments and with expertise from the voluntary sector. The Children and Young People's Unit is now supporting Departments as they plan how to take forward work to implement the principles and develop individual departmental action plans, for implementation from April 2002. The Unit will publish an annual report of progress against action plans.
	The document "Learning to Listen—Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People" is available on the web at www.cypu.gov.uk and in the Library.

Children and Young People's Unit

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget is for the Children and Young Persons' Unit for (a) 2001 and (b) 2002.

John Denham: I have been asked to reply.
	The Children and Young People's Unit is responsible for the Children's Fund for which the spending plans are £100 million in 2001–02 and £150 million in 2002–03. The budget for the Children and Young People's Unit, including the administration and support of the Children's Fund is £2.7 million in 2001–02. Its budget for 2002–03 has not yet been finalised.

School Leavers

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils in Birmingham, Northfield left full-time education at the age of 16 years in the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Data on the number and percentage of students continuing in post-compulsory education at age 16 are not calculated for areas smaller than LEAs, as reliable estimates cannot be made for small areas.
	The percentage of 16-year-olds not participating in full-time education for Birmingham LEA, which includes the constituency of Birmingham Northfield, in the last three years for which figures are available is set out as follows:
	
		16-year-olds not in full-time education: Birmingham LEA
		
			   1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Percentage 33 32 33 
			 Number 4,500 4,300 4,500 
		
	
	Participation rates by LEA are published in an annual statistical bulletin, "Participation in Education and Training by Young People Aged 16 and 17 in Each Local Area and Region, England".

LEA Music Services

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities are receiving funds for a music service; and how many schools have benefited from the music service in each local education authority.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 30 November 2001
	All 150 local education authorities in England are receiving funds for a music service through the Music Standards Fund.
	The Department for Education and Skills has not up to now collected information on how many schools benefit from the music service in each authority. We do, however, plan to ask music services for more information about the provision they offer in the new year.

Competitive Bidding

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the schemes administered by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies where funds are allocated by a competitive bidding process; and what was the amount of money allocated to each scheme.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

School Playing Fields

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the estimate previously supplied by her Department that 40 school playing fields per month were sold during the period 1979 to 1997; what recent representations she has received expressing concern over the (a) use and (b) accuracy of these estimated figures; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 30 November 2001
	Public concern about the loss of school playing fields led directly to the introduction in October 1998 of section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Prior to October 1998, the Government had no means of knowing precisely how many school playing fields were being sold. Before section 77 was introduced, only grant-maintained schools were required to seek consent from the Secretary of State before selling land, including areas of their playing fields. Local authorities and other schools that owned their own playing fields were free to sell without restriction.
	Our best estimate is that an average of 40 playing fields a month were sold in this way before October 1998. This estimate is based on the number of playing field disposals at grant-maintained schools between April 1996, when the then Conservative Government further encouraged the disposal of playing fields by relaxing the Local Authority Capital Finance Regulations which governed the use of sale proceeds, and 1 October 1998, when section 77 took effect. During this 30-month period, some 64 grant- maintained schools were given approval to dispose of areas of playing field, which is an average of over two a month. Using the proportion of grant-maintained schools at that time compared with the number of other schools, we estimate the total number of playing field disposals each month to have been around 40.
	Only the Central Council of Physical Recreation has expressed any concern about these figures. Officials in this Department responded to the Council's concerns in September 2001. There have been no further representations.

Pupil Places

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what basis is used to determine the funding made available to local education authorities for new pupil places.

John Healey: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Capital support for new pupil places is allocated to local education authorities (LEAs) where the forecast growth in pupil numbers in an area exceeds the assessed physical capacity of local schools to accommodate them. Once the number of pupil places needed is established, funding is allocated using a per pupil amount which reflects the average cost of new accommodation. Funding support is normally provided to LEAs in the form of basic credit approvals. Detailed guidance to LEAs on submitting requests for new pupil places is sent to them annually in the "Guide for the Schools Capital Allocation Round and PFI Credits" document, copies of which are lodged in the Library.

Capital Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what mechanism she operates to record approvals given to local education authorities for capital expenditure;
	(2)  what information her Department holds on approvals to local education authorities for capital expenditure.

John Healey: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The Government have, as far as possible, moved away from centrally directed, bureaucratic bidding processes. We have moved towards needs related formulaic allocations to schools and local education authorities (LEAs) based on pupil numbers and survey-based assessments of building needs. It is the Government's view that, on balance and with the right safeguards, detailed decisions about capital priorities across a local area are best taken by LEAs working with their schools. In line with this, Asset Management Plans (AMPs) have been introduced by LEAs, giving them a clear and systematic view of the needs of their schools estate, based on surveys of all school buildings. LEAs and schools then prioritise these needs in a rigorous, consultative and transparent way against the formulaic capital support provided to them. This means that most detailed information on how schools capital is invested is held by LEAs and schools.
	Central Government retains some central support for capital funded through bid based initiatives such as the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and the Targeted Capital Fund (TCF). Guidance on submitting PFI and TCF bids is sent to LEAs annually in the "Guide for the Schools Capital Allocation Round and PFI Credits" document, copies of which are lodged in the Library, together with copies of announcements of allocations to LEAs and schools made by the Department. Details of announcements of major capital allocations are also sent to each Member of Parliament.

Capital Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools will have been allocated money in the period from May 1997 to March 2002 for repairs.

John Healey: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Every maintained school in England has been allocated money for repairs in this period. This Government made available £1.3 billion of New Deal for Schools capital from the Windfall Tax from 1997–98 until 2001–02, to help address the backlog of urgent repairs in schools that we inherited after years of under-funding. 17,000 schools are benefiting from this investment.
	In 2000–01, Devolved formula capital for schools was introduced, giving, for the first time, every school in England a capital budget to enable them to address directly the needs of their buildings. This funding is nearly £300 million this year and will rise to £600 million by 2003–04, when a typical primary school will receive almost £20,000 a year, and a typical secondary school will receive almost £66,000 a year.
	In addition to this, many schools are benefiting from repairs and improvements supported by formulaic capital allocations by central Government to local education authorities.

New Schools

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 773W, on new schools, what the value was of capital expenditure on (a) expanding new schools, (b) replacing schools and (c) repairing schools in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2001.

John Healey: holding answer 3 December 2001
	We do not hold information in the form requested. Much capital support is allocated to local education authorities and schools on a formulaic basis, so that records on how it is allocated to specific categories of spend will be held locally.

"All Our Futures"

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in implementing "All our Futures: Creativity, Culture, Education".

Ivan Lewis: The report of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education "All our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education", published in 1999, contained 59 detailed recommendations. Since then we have made considerable progress in addressing the report's recommendations.
	The last national curriculum review introduced greater flexibility, which allowed teachers the freedom to incorporate more creativity into their planning and teaching. As a result of the review, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has established two projects, one on Creativity and one on the Arts, to produce guidance for schools on how to promote pupils' creativity and how the Arts can contribute to pupils' creative and cultural development.
	This year, the Department's White Paper "Schools: achieving success" reinforced our commitment that all pupils should have access to a broad and balanced education which includes opportunities for creativity and self-expression. This includes our proposals to support schools to provide "education with character" and our commitment that there should be more opportunities for children to learn music, PE, sports and a modern foreign language. We are also supporting the continued development of Creative Partnerships between schools and arts organisations.

Rural White Paper

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on the rural White Paper, how many child care places were (a) taken up and (b) remained vacant in (i) Cornwall, (ii) Devon, (iii) Durham and (iv) Lincolnshire in 2000–01; and what plans she has to extend the child care places scheme to other rural counties.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The Department for Education and Skills has responsibility for the development of child care places in England through the National Childcare Strategy. The strategy is carried forward at a local level by Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCPs) that have been established in every local education authority area in England. All rural areas are covered.
	We do not currently hold information on the take-up of places. EYDCPs are now gathering this information and will be submitting it to the Department in spring 2002 along with their Implementation Plans for 2002–03.
	We are making £22 million available from April 2002 to support the delivery of Sure Start type services aimed at young children and families in rural areas and small pockets of disadvantage. This will build on neighbourhood nurseries and bring child care, health and family support services to a further 7,500 children in England. Thirty-four local authority areas have been invited to develop these smaller scale programmes. A list of the areas and associated guidance has been placed in the Library.

Rural White Paper

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on the rural White Paper, which schools have received support from the Small Schools Fund.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The Small Schools Fund is allocated to LEAs on a formula basis. Levels of funding are determined by the number of primary and special schools in the authority that have 200 or fewer pupils; and the number of secondary schools that have 600 or fewer pupils. The fund is worth £80 million per year in total. LEAs may set lower (but not higher) thresholds for allocation at local level.

Grandparent Mentoring

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what involvement her Department had in the proposal by Age Concern England to develop its transage action grandparent mentoring project in 2000–01.

Stephen Timms: None. The Department contributed towards the cost of a feasibility study in 1997–98 and made a further contribution to a pilot programme in 1998–99. No further requests for funding were received.

School Buses (Safety)

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to increase the safety of school buses; and what guidelines are given to schools with regard to bus and minibus safety in schools.

Ivan Lewis: From 1 October this year, all new buses, coaches and minibuses have to be fitted with seat belts. This change will make all bus and minibus travel in new vehicles safer.
	Home to school transport is the responsibility of local education authorities. They must monitor the condition of vehicles used for transporting pupils from home to school, and report any safety defects to the Vehicle Inspectorate. Schools are responsible for arranging travel on educational visits, and we published good practice guidance in 1998 that advised that it is not normally appropriate to use buses without seat belts on long journeys. Supplementary advice on educational visits will be made available later this school term.

Further Education Colleges

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much VAT was paid by further education colleges in England in each year from 1995–96.

Margaret Hodge: Information on VAT paid by further education colleges in England was not recorded centrally by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC), so is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Further Education Colleges

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the results of pilot studies into financial support for further education college students in England.

Ivan Lewis: The only form of financial assistance for students in further education currently being piloted is the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), which is available in 56 local education authorities. The allowance is payable to eligible young people not just in colleges but also in school sixth forms.
	The pilots are being evaluated over a three-year period and this work is on-going. The first reports were published in March this year and the next report is due for publication early in 2002.
	Early findings from the evaluation show that EMA appears to have raised participation in education. The statistical analysis estimates an average gain in participation in pilot areas compared with control areas, among EMA eligible young people, of around 5 percentage points.
	Although we do not yet have figures on attainment, the qualitative aspect of the evaluation has found some evidence of a positive effect on young people's performance and commitment to study.
	In relation to adult learners in further education colleges in England, there are no pilot studies on which to report at this time.

Post-16 Education (Funding)

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what change in funding (a) sixth form colleges and (b) further education colleges in England would receive for 16 to 19-year-old provision if funded at the level of sixth forms in schools.

Margaret Hodge: It is not possible to estimate reliably what change in funding would result if sixth form colleges and other FE colleges were to be funded at the level of school sixth forms. Comparable funding figures to do this are not available.
	The latest estimate of the average delegated funding per sixth form student in schools per year for 2001–02 is £3,330, and the total funding per full time equivalent (FTE) student in FE sector colleges per year for 2001–02 is £3,660. However, the FE unit funding figure includes total public funding allocated for further education, while the schools' figure is based only on delegated funds and excludes other funding the school receives centrally from LEAs which impacts on post-16 students. The figures therefore cannot be used to make comparisons. Also, separate figures for sixth form colleges and tertiary colleges are not available.

Education Action Zones

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what is the estimated final cost to her Department of ending the education action zone scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: All education action zones will complete their agreed full statutory term. Each education action zone (EAZ) will need to make arrangements to dispose of any assets and to meet any employment liabilities in accordance with guidance issued by the Department for Education and Skills in the EAZ handbook.
	The costs will vary from zone to zone depending on individual circumstances and liabilities. All costs will be met from within the existing education action zone programme budget.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the impact of the climate change levy on carbon dioxide emissions (a) to date and (b) over the next five years.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 16 November 2001
	I have been asked to reply.
	The climate change levy has only been operational since April and no assessment of delivered emissions reduction has yet been undertaken. However, the climate change levy package is forecast to deliver reductions in CO 2 emission by 5 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2010.

Fuel Poverty

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to include policies to combat fuel poverty in her Department's aims and objectives.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 15 October 2001
	My Department gives high priority to policies to tackle fuel poverty as part of our provisional objective of promoting more sustainable management and use of natural resources including energy.
	The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy was published on 21 November. This set out the Government's goal to seek an end to the problem of fuel poverty, with the first target to ensure that by 2010, no vulnerable household—older people, families, disabled and long-term sick—need risk ill health due to a cold home.

Lord Haskins

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she received from the National Farmers' Union regarding the choice of Lord Haskins to conduct a study of rural recovery, prior to his appointment.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 26 October 2001
	The suggestion that my noble Friend Lord Haskins should conduct the study was first made by the NFU in Cumbria to my hon. Friend the Member for Workington (Tony Cunningham) who passed this view to the Prime Minister. Subsequently, NFU representatives confirmed to the Prime Minister that they would welcome the appointment of Lord Haskins to this role.

Foot and Mouth

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for each country where foot and mouth disease exists (a) what regions are affected, (b) what is the amount of (i) sheep meat, (ii) beef, (iii) pig meat and (iv) other meat products imported directly to the UK since the first outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom this year and (c) what additional bio-security measures have been implemented to check imports from that country since February.

Elliot Morley: Listed are the countries that are affected with foot and mouth disease and from which European Community legislation would normally permit imports of meat of foot and mouth disease (FMD) susceptible species. Community legislation permits imports from regions not affected by FMD and these regions may change if the disease status of individual countries improves or deteriorates. Foot and mouth disease exists in other countries but they are not listed here as imports of meat are not permitted from those countries.
	Table B shows the tonnage of bovine and ovine meat imported into the UK between February 2001 and September 2001. There were no recorded imports of porcine meat or meat of any other FMD susceptible species from the countries listed during that period.
	Adequate measures are already in place to control legally presented imports of meat and meat products. All meat imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) where it is subject to veterinary checks, to establish that the products meet EU import conditions. Consignments that do not meet appropriate import requirements are rejected.
	When outbreaks of foot and mouth disease occur in third countries, safeguard measures are taken banning the importation of all FMD susceptible meat from the entire country. Once the situation stabilises and sufficient guarantees provided, restrictions are lifted accordingly. All enforcement authorities are kept informed of the situation.
	Where outbreaks of FMD occur in other EU countries, restrictions on the export of products of FMD susceptible species from that country are put in place in accordance with Community legislation. Port health authorities and local authorities are requested to undertake checks at port of entry and at premises of destination to ensure that products not eligible for trade are detected.
	Countries currently affected by foot and mouth disease and regionalised in accordance with Community legislation.
	Argentina: Imports banned from the whole country.
	Botswana: Imports banned from the whole country except from designated zones which do not necessarily follow any distinct administrative area and are only described as 'veterinary disease control zones 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 18'.
	Brazil—imports banned from the whole country except the states of Parana, minas Gerais (but not the regional delegations of Oliveira, Passos, Sa~o Gonçalo de Sapucai, Setelagoas and Bambui), Sa~o Paulo, Espirito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul (except for the municipalities of Sonora, Aquidauana, Bodoquena, Bonito, Caracol, Coxim, Jardim, Ladario, Miranda, Pedro Gomes, Porto Murtinho, Rio Negro, Rio Verde of Mato Grosso and Corumba), Santa Catarina Goias and the regional units of Cuiaba (except for the municipalities of San Antonio de Leverger, Nossa Senhora do Livramento, Pocone and Bara~ de Melagaço), Caceres (except for the municipality of Caceres), Lucan do Rio Verde, Rondonopolis (except for the municipality of Itiquiora), Barra do Garças and the Barra do Bugres in Mato Grosso.
	Namibia: Imports banned from the whole country except the area south of the cordon fences which extend from Palgrave Point in the west to Gam in the east.
	Swaziland: Imports banned from the whole country except the area west of the 'red line' fences which extend northwards from the river Usutu to the frontier with South Africa west of Nkalashane and excluding the designated veterinary foot and mouth surveillance and vaccination control areas.
	South Africa: Imports are banned from the following regions—the part of the foot and mouth disease control area situated in the veterinary regions of Mpumlanga and northern provinces, in the district of Ingwavuma of the veterinary regions of Natal and in the border area with Botswana east of longitude 28o, and the district of Camperdown, in the province of Kwazulu-Natal.
	Uruguay: Imports banned from the whole country. From 1 November 2001 import restrictions on de-boned and matured meat have been lifted. Prior to that date imports of certain categories of meat were permitted if they had been produced before specified dates.
	Zimbabwe: Imports banned from the whole country except the veterinary regions of Mashonaland West province, Mashonaland East province (including Chikomba district), Mashonaland Central province, Manicaland province (including only Makoni district), Midlands province (including only the Gweru, Kwekwe, Shurugwi, Chirimanzu and Zvishavane districts), Masvingo province (including only the districts of Gutu and Masvingo), Matabeleland South province (including only the Insiza, Bullimamangwe, Umzingwamange, Gwanda and West Nicholson districts) and Matabeleland North province (including only the districts of Bubi and Umgusa).
	
		Table B—UK imports of meat of FMD-susceptible animals from countries affected by FMD February to September 2001 -- tonnes
		
			  Country Bovine meat and offal (total) Sheep meat and offal (total) 
		
		
			 Argentina 3,710 149 
			 Botswana 8,456 — 
			 Brazil 48,492 17 
			 Namibia 5,974 — 
			 South Africa 214 — 
			 Uruguay 5,484 250 
			 Zimbabwe 3,181 —

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates between 1 December 2000 and 20 February (a) MAFF officials and (b) trading standards officers visited Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall; what the purpose of the visits was; and what reports they submitted.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 28 November 2001
	MAFF staff and Trading Standards Officers together visited Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall on 22 December 2000 and 24 January 2001. Each of these visits was on welfare grounds and a report was produced on each occasion.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if (a) departmental officials, (b) persons acting on behalf of her Department and (c) military personnel involved in handling issues relating to foot and mouth disease were invited to sign a copy of the Official Secrets Act; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 26 November 2001
	All civil servants, members of the armed forces, and those acting on behalf of the Department, are bound by the provisions of the Official Secrets Act and owe a duty of confidentiality to the Crown. There is therefore no requirement for such persons to sign a copy of the Official Secrets Act for work relating to foot and mouth disease.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she has received the report, "Observations on the Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in Cumbria 2001", by a former member of the Veterinary Investigation Service; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 November 2001
	I am aware of the report prepared by Mr. Richardson, a former employee, in which he compares the working methods adopted in dealing with the outbreak in 1967 and 2001.
	The recommendations of the Northumberland Committee have been taken into account, as appropriate during the current outbreak. Inevitably, conditions have changed here and in Europe since the Northumberland Committee's report, and the outbreak is clearly different in nature and extent to the 1967–68 outbreak. These differences have been fully documented in a report undertaken by the Cabinet Office which is available on the DEFRA website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/ about/current/comparisons/1967a.asp. More generally, issues raised in Mr. Richardson's report should be looked at by the independent inquiries established by the Government.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the evidence in her possession of cases where resistance by farmers to culling during the foot and mouth outbreak exacerbated the spread of the disease.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 16 November 2001
	I refer to the comments I made during the Second Reading debate on the Animal Health Bill on 12 November 2001, Official Report, columns 577–78.

Foot and Mouth

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animal blood tests have to be completed before Devon can be declared free of foot and mouth disease; and when she expects them to be completed.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 23 November 2001
	Sampling in Devon was completed in the week beginning 12 November but test results were awaited from three premises, involving 426 blood samples, in the week beginning 19 November. All the laboratory results have now been received and Devon was classed as foot and mouth disease free from 27 November. Contrary to the local press reports, no samples were lost and the programme was completed on schedule.

Welfare Slaughter Programme

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals have been slaughtered, broken down by region, as a result of the welfare slaughter programme.

Elliot Morley: The Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme was opened on 22 March 2001, to deal with severe welfare problems arising from the foot and mouth disease movement restrictions that cannot be dealt with by any other means. As at 21 November, the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme had slaughtered and made payment on a total of 1,625,652 animals since it opened. Of these, 945,554 came from England (58.2 per cent.), 108,748 came from Scotland (6.7 per cent.) and 571,350 came from Wales (35.1 per cent.). The Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme does not operate in Northern Ireland.
	The number of animals in England that the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme had slaughtered and made payment on can be broken down further:
	49,871 animals in east England (which is 5.3 per cent. of the England total and 3.1 per cent. of the GB total)
	54,002 animals in the east midlands (which is 5.7 per cent. of the England total and 3.3 per cent. of the GB total)
	61,542 animals in the north-east (6.5 per cent. of the England total and 3.8 per cent. of the GB total)
	107,176 animals in the north-west (which is 11.3 per cent. of the England total and 6.6 per cent. of the GB total)
	58,854 animals in the south-east (which is 6.2 per cent. of the England total and 3.6 per cent. of the GB total)
	252,921 in the south-west (which is 26.8 per cent. of the England total and 15.6 per cent. of the GB total)
	229,672 animals in the west midlands (which is 24.3 per cent. of the England total and 14.1 per cent. of the GB total)
	131,434 in Yorkshire and the Humber (which is 13.9 per cent. of the England total and 8.1 per cent. of the GB total)
	82 animals in Greater London (which is 0.1 per cent. of the England total and less than 0.1 per cent of the GB total).

Hedgerows

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to amend regulations relating to the protection of hedgerows.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 16 November 2001
	We are reviewing the hedgerows protection system, including the Hedgerows Regulations 1997, in the light of developments such as the results of the Countryside Survey 2000 and the recommendations of the group responsible for the review of the regulations. We are holding meetings with stakeholders and expect to issue a consultation paper on our proposals early next year.

Livestock Movements

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  (a) for what reasons and (b) on what date her Department introduced new rules regulating the issuing of movement licences by trading standards officers for cattle direct to slaughter for human consumption; if she will list the administrative changes introduced; and what steps her Department took to inform (i) farmers and (ii) the agriculture industry of the administrative changes prior to their introduction;
	(2)  (a) for what reasons and (b) on what date her Department introduced new rules requiring (i) the completion of application forms and (ii) the supply of ear tag numbers to trading standards officers in advance of the issuing of movement licences for cattle direct to slaughter for human consumption; and what steps her Department took to inform (A) farmers and (B) the agriculture industry of the administrative changes prior to their introduction.

Elliot Morley: The latest revision of the rules for the movement of foot and mouth disease susceptible livestock to slaughter was introduced on 11 November. The changes brought the rules of movement to slaughter into line with those of other livestock movements.
	The rules for movements from farm to farm where the animals stay alive, and pose a higher risk of disease spreading, require the animal to be identified and, in the case of cattle, ear tag numbers to be recorded. The information is vital for effective enforcement of the licensing regime. This requirement was replicated in the movement to slaughter rules introduced on 8 November. But it was quickly realised that the requirement was not always necessary and it was corrected in the revision published on 11 November.
	Interested parties are consulted about the harmonisation of the rules for movement to slaughter with those for movement to stay alive and supported it. The simplification made on 11 November was in response to further representations. The question of whether cattle ear tag numbers should be required for movement to slaughter, is now left to the local authorities, from whose area the movement is to take place, to decide.

BSE Research

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to fund Professor Ebringer's research into the auto-immune theory of BSE beyond 31 December.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 23 November 2001
	My Department has already contributed significant funding towards Professor Ebringer's research. Currently, there are no plans to provide further support to this work once the present studies have concluded.

Staff Morale

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the morale of staff within her Department.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 23 November 2001
	Despite the pressures of dealing with foot and mouth disease and the current industrial action being taken by Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members in the Department, the morale of staff within the Department is good. Staff in DEFRA are committed to delivering high quality services to the public.

Departmental Staff Salaries

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many departmental staff of the same grade of job are being paid different levels of salary.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 23 November 2001
	There are 9,079 ex-MAFF staff in DEFRA who are employed under the same pay arrangements and conditions of employment. Variations in individual levels of pay of staff doing work of equal value do occur because of a number of factors, but principally because pay is linked to performance. Staff of the same grade or equivalent, however, are normally paid salaries within their pay range minima and maxima.
	636 ex-Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions staff joined DEFRA when it was created on 8 June. These staff will retain the pay and terms and conditions of employment of their former department until common terms and conditions of employment are established following negotiations with the trade unions.
	In addition, there is a small number of staff who have reserved rights to some historical terms and conditions.

Farmgate Sales (Organic Market)

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the total value of the retail organic market comprised UK farmgate sales in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The most recent data available indicate that in 2000–01 the retail market for organic produce was worth around £800 million. Around 30 per cent. of the retail market was supplied by domestic production. Farmgate returns to UK organic producers over the same period are estimated to have been a little in excess of £100 million.

Food Imports

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many cases in each of the last three years food imports have been (a) impounded and (b) destroyed; what type of foodstuff was involved; what the point of entry was; and what the resultant legal or other outcomes were.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 27 November 2001
	I have placed tables detailing this information in the Library of the House.
	Figures breaking down rejected consignments by port and product are available only for the period July 2000 to June 2001. Information in this format is not available for previous years. Details of the number of consignments by product rejected at UK ports have been provided for the period July 1998 to June 2001. Information on illegal imports seized is available from April 2001; information is not held centrally prior to that date. Rejected and seized consignments are either destroyed or re-exported outside of the EU. Information on the outcome of each rejected or seized consignment is not held centrally.

Electricity for Enterprise

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will extend the deadline for the Electricity for Enterprise grant scheme for those areas affected by foot and mouth disease which has prevented work going ahead.

Alun Michael: The Government have been negotiating with the European Commission for an extension to the Objective 5b programme since the outbreak of foot and mouth. If our request is granted this would enable the completion of projects such as 'Electricity for Enterprise'. We are hopeful that a favourable decision will be forthcoming shortly.

Sea Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in implementing the recommendations accepted by MAFF in its response to the Eighth report from the Agriculture Select Committee, Session 1998–99 on sea fishing.

Elliot Morley: I have been pleased to provide the Agriculture Select Committee on a number of occasions with updates to the Government response to the Committee's 1999 Report on Sea Fishing. Most recently, I provided oral evidence to the Committee on 9 May 2001 on issues covered in the report. The transcript of this evidence has been published in the Agriculture Committee, Session 2000–01, Sea Fishing, (HC 404).

Sea Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department made towards establishing a long-term sea fishing strategy for (a) the United Kingdom and (b) England.

Elliot Morley: The sea fish industry itself must be fully involved in the establishment of a long-term strategy; and I therefore welcome the work which is being undertaken by the Fish Industry Forum to contribute towards a strategy. It will also be necessary to take account of the results of the current review of the Common Fisheries Policy due for completion by the end of next year.

Sea Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the budget requirements of sea fisheries committees which seek to fulfil their full range of statutory duties.

Elliot Morley: The sea fisheries committees are funded by their sponsoring local authorities which nominate half the membership of each committee. The need for additional budgetary provision is a matter for each committee and its local authority membership.

Sea Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the (a) Scottish Executive and (b) Welsh Assembly with regard to (i) temporary tie-up schemes for fishing boats engaged in the hunt for pressure stock, (ii) the future of decommissioning schemes, (iii) the future of the European Common Fisheries policy, (iv) the allocation of total allowable catches and (v) controls on the landing of black fish.

Elliot Morley: This Department has regular contact with the other Fisheries Departments in the UK, both at ministerial and official level, on a wide range of fisheries issues including those cited by the hon. Member.

Meat Imports

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in other Government Departments on (a) the level of illegal meat imports to the UK and (b) the effectiveness of controls and enforcement measures at (i) ports, (ii) airports and (iii) elsewhere to tackle illegal meat imports; and what assessment she has made of the need for further action.

Elliot Morley: Department for Education, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers regularly have discussions with ministerial colleagues and officials in many parts of Government. In line with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information details of such confidential discussions are not normally disclosed.
	Departmental officials are leading an interdepartmental review aimed at co-ordinating action across Government to ensure that rules on imports of all products of animal origin are enforced effectively and efficiently. In carrying out this task they meet regularly with colleagues in other Government Departments and responsible enforcement authorities.

Blackfish

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her estimates are for the total landings of blackfish in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales, (d) England and (e) the UK in each of the last 10 years for which records are available, by (i) gross tonnage and (ii) value;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the total landings of blackfish (a) before and (b) since the implementation of the designated ports regulations.

Elliot Morley: As explained in the answer to the hon. Member on 20 July 2001, Official Report, column 626W, this Department does not make estimates of the levels of blackfish. The landing of undeclared fish is an illegal activity and meaningful estimates of the extent to which it occurs cannot readily be made.

Agricultural Development Scheme

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the bids for funding submitted under round three of the Agricultural Development Scheme, broken down by region, stating the value of each bid.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 28 November 2001
	We regard bids for competitive grant schemes such as the Agriculture Development Scheme as commercially confidential. As for previous rounds of the Agriculture Development Scheme, we shall publish a list of the successful bids when we announce the outcome next year.

Scientific Research

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 514W, on scientific research, what quality assessment is undertaken by her Department into the work of contractors, and through them sub-contractors, commissioned by her Department.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 29 November 2001
	In deciding whether to let contracts, one of the aspects considered by scientists in the Department is the need for suitable and relevant quality assurance in relation to the project or projects proposed. As indicated in the reply of 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 514W, the need for contractors and their sub-contractors to meet quality standards schemes appropriate to the science projects is evaluated. However, there are substantial and wider aspects to assessing and assuring the quality of science we commission. Chief among these are the processes of prior peer review, by national and international experts in the field, of many proposals put to us; the advice of independent expert committees and advisory bodies; the work of interdepartmental committees; the detailed departmental monitoring of all science projects in progress, including formal review on their quality, progress, outputs and direction; and the growing programme of ex post facto evaluations of the impact of programmes of work. In monitoring and evaluation, the Department is again assisted by external and independent scientific input. Finally, the overall scientific quality of the work of most of our individual contractors—such as our own agencies, the institutes of the Research Councils and the universities—is assisted by independently run science audits or the audits provided through processes such as the DfES Research Assessment Exercise.

Flood Defences

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the policy of managed retreat in maintaining coastal flood defences during the winter months.

Elliot Morley: Managed realignment (occasionally referred to as managed retreat) is one of the options which operating authorities are encouraged to consider when considering long-term options for coastal defence. It is only appropriate in specific circumstances where people or major assets are not at risk. In such circumstances it can have a range of benefits including the achievement of more secure and sustainable defences and the creation of additional areas of inter-tidal habitats. No specific study has been made since only a small number of sites for the implementation of managed realignment has been identified.
	The Department has recently approved grant for a major realignment scheme on the Humber where land has been purchased by the Environment Agency to create compensatory inter-tidal habitat for areas that will be lost due to flood defence works elsewhere in the estuary. A series of major studies are continuing to establish the possibility of realignment of defences at other sites in the Humber to relieve the pressures on flood defences that will increase as sea levels rise. Further managed realignment schemes are currently planned for the Wash, Norfolk and in Essex.

Unallocated Funds

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the total unallocated funds within her departmental expenditure limit (a) at the start of the financial year and (b) to date; and what was the month seven forecast on outturn underspend against her departmental expenditure limit in (i) real and (ii) percentage terms.

Elliot Morley: The former Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food Departmental Annual Report for 2000–01 (Cm5113) contains the Departmental Unallocated Provision (DUP) set for the present financial year in Table 6.1 of Annex 1. The creation of DEFRA did not alter this figure, although £7.308 million was transferred directly to the Food Standards Agency from the DUP at the time of the Summer Supplementary Estimate. There has been no draw-down of the Department's remaining DUP to date. Outturn against a six-month forecast for each Request for Resources will be published in the Winter Supplementary Estimates Summary Request for Supply as usual.

EU Vessels

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Community vessels, by nationality, received Community grants for modernisation while flying non-EU flags of convenience in the last year for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: EU rules state that Community grants for modernisation are available only for vessels on the Community fishing vessel register.

Farrowing Crates

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the phasing out of farrowing crates for sows; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We have, for a number of years, funded research directly or indirectly related to the welfare of the sow and her piglets, from farrowing to weaning. A key issue which has emerged from this research is that changes in farrowing systems to improve sow welfare can frequently have an adverse effect on the welfare of the piglets. As a result, we are not yet able unreservedly to recommend free-farrowing systems for widespread commercial adoption. Our research, and that of others, continues to seek a solution to this problem. Our aim is to reach a position where it is possible to avoid the close-confinement of all sows.

Tuberculosis

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's long-term strategy to deal with tuberculosis; and how much she is planning to spend in each of the next three years on this.

Elliot Morley: The Government's projected expenditure on TB for the years 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04 was published at Annexe A of the Reply by the Government to the First Report from the Agriculture Committee, Session 2000–01 (HC 92) and I refer the hon. Gentleman to that publication.
	Future spending plans (for 2004–05) will not be finalised until the 2002 Spending Review has concluded next summer.

Livestock Farmers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to require all livestock farmers to be licensed; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton) on 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 857W.

Farm Subsidies

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) total and (b) average levels of subsidies to farmers were for (i) production and (ii) agri-environmental schemes in (1) 1996, (2) 1997, (3) 1998, (4) 1999, (5) 2000 and (6) 2001.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 30 November 2001
	The level of production related to subsidies and agri- environmental subsidies is given in the following table. Note that the estimates of the average per holding will mask a wide variation across holdings.
	Figures for 2001 are not yet available and will be published in mid-March.
	
		Subsidies paid to UK farmers: 1996–2000
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Total subsidies (£ million) 3,081 2,810 2,703 2,751 2,592 
			 of which:  
			 Production related subsidies(34) 2,996 2,707 2,571 2,585 2,399 
			 Agri-environment schemes 85 103 132 166 193 
			 Number of UK holdings (thousand)(35) 234 238 238 240 233 
			   
			  Average per holding (£)(36)   
			 Total subsidies 13,149 11,824 11,360 11,481 11,111 
			 of which:  
			 Production related subsidies(34) 12,787 11,390 10,805 10,788 10,285 
			 Agri-environment schemes 362 434 555 693 826 
		
	
	(34) Excludes public expenditure on indirect support eg intervention
	(35) Excludes minor holdings for GB. For NI all active holdings are included. The trends in the series have been affected by register improvements over this period
	(36) Calculated by dividing by the number of UK holdings (excluding minor holdings in GB and inactive holdings in NI)
	Source:
	Agriculture in the United Kingdom

CAP Spending

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the (a) total level of CAP spending in Europe, (b) level of CAP spending in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) other EU member states by different scheme and (c) proportion of CAP spending funded by (A) the United Kingdom and (B) other EU member states in each of the last 10 years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 30 November 2001
	The level of CAP spending in Europe in the last 10 years is presented in the table.
	
		
			 Total EAGGF guarantee section expenditure Euro billion 
		
		
			 1991 31.6 
			 1992 31.3 
			 1993 34.7 
			 1994 33.4 
			 1995 34.5 
			 1996 39.1 
			 1997 40.7 
			 1998 38.7 
			 1999 39.5 
			 2000 40.4 
		
	
	These figures are sourced from the 30th Financial Report on the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), published by the European Commission.
	The level of CAP spending in the United Kingdom and other EU member states by different scheme for 2000 is as follows. The breakdown of CAP spending by member state, by different scheme for previous years is available from the Financial Reports on the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund which are published annually by the European Commission.
	The UK and other member states contribute to the budget as a whole and not to individual community spending programmes. The UK and other member states' gross contributions as a percentage of the total EC budget (after abatement) over the period 1991–2000 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Belgium 4.2 4.0 3.7 4.4 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9 
			 Denmark 2.0 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.0 1.9 
			 Germany 29.1 30.2 29.8 33.3 31.4 29.2 28.2 25.1 25.5 24.8 
			 Greece 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 
			 Spain 8.7 8.6 8.1 7.4 5.4 6.4 7.1 7.0 7.6 7.3 
			 France 20.1 18.7 18.0 19.6 17.5 17.5 17.5 16.5 17.0 16.5 
			 Ireland 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.3 1.2 
			 Italy 16.5 14.7 16.0 12.1 9.5 12.6 11.5 12.9 13.0 12.5 
			 Luxembourg 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 
			 Netherlands 6.7 6.3 6.3 6.6 6.4 6.2 6.4 6.2 6.2 6.2 
			 Austria — — — — 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.5 2.5 2.4 
			 Portugal 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.9 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 
			 Finland — — — — 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 
			 Sweden — — — — 2.4 2.8 3.1 2.9 2.8 3.0 
			 United Kingdom 9.0 11.9 11.9 10.0 13.6 11.6 11.9 15.2 13.4 15.8 
		
	
	
		Euro million 
		
			  Belgium Denmark Germany Greece Spain France Ireland Italy Luxembourg 
		
		
			 Arable crops 196.9 669.7 3,682.4 442.7 1,519.3 5,121.4 116.9 1,748.9 9.2 
			 Sugar 341.2 114.1 295.1 4.3 91.8 552.6 5.2 158.2 0.0 
			 Olive Oil 0.0 0.0 0.0 505.1 974.3 3.6 0.0 686.9 0.0 
			 Dried Fodder and Grain Legumes 0.1 12.0 22.4 4.1 182.8 82.9 0.3 57.3 0.0 
			 Fibre Plants and Silkworms 9.2 0.0 2.8 640.7 280.0 40.3 0.0 0.4 0.0 
			 Fruit and vegetables 20.2 1.1 13.9 283.0 466.5 238.1 0.5 423.4 0.0 
			 Products of the Vine-growing Sector 0.0 0.0 29.8 10.1 220.8 201.5 0.0 281.3 0.0 
			 Tobacco 3.6 0.0 36.2 374.8 115.6 79.7 0.0 357.4 0.0 
			 Other Plant Sectors and Products 3.3 30.3 22.2 23.9 66.1 31.1 0.1 146.1 0.2 
			 Milk and Milk Products 183.8 211.6 249.9 -3.0 23.9 724.5 155.3 124.8 -0.7 
			 Beef and Veal 108.0 59.6 423.3 58.2 430.4 1,069.2 827.5 202.6 6.0 
			 Sheepmeat and Goatmeat 1.4 1.8 43.7 227.2 466.5 170.8 112.4 177.6 0.1 
			 Pigmeat, Eggs and Poultrymeat 13.8 132.0 39.1 0.3 26.7 119.5 6.4 22.2 0.0 
			 Other animal product aid measures 0.2 0.2 1.0 1.1 3.5 1.5 0.0 1.9 0.0 
			 Fishery products 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.4 3.9 1.1 0.0 0.0 
			 Non-Annex II products 36.4 35.7 110.8 3.0 21.5 51.2 70.0 19.0 0.0 
			 Food Aid 8.8 3.1 22.5 16.6 63.5 82.9 4.2 47.7 0.1 
			 Outermost Regions 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.3 119.9 43.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 
			 Veterinary and Phytosanitary Measures 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Monitoring and Prevention 0.7 0.0 -0.2 1.1 24.5 4.6 1.4 28.4 0.1 
			 Clearance of Previous Years' Accounts -3.2 -30.4 -41.2 -167.6 -29.8 -229.9 -19.9 -463.6 -1.4 
			 Promotion Measures 1.6 0.7 6.4 0.3 5.6 8.5 0.2 4.8 0.1 
			 Other Measures 3.3 28.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 107.2 52.3 219.3 0.2 
			 Rural Development 25.4 34.2 681.6 146.8 395.4 474.1 344.4 757.3 6.7 
			 Total EAGGF Guarantee Section 954.6 1,304.7 5.641.9 2,597.2 5,469.0 8,981.9 1,678.3 5,002.3 20.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Netherlands Austria Portugal Finland Sweden United Kingdom EC Total 
		
		
			 Arable crops 264.7 373.8 178.1 251.3 433.6 1,654.0 0.0 16,663.1 
			 Sugar 66.8 43.4 25.5 12.2 29.7 170.0 0.0 1,910.2 
			 Olive Oil 0.0 0.0 40.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2,210.1 
			 Dried Fodder and Grain Legumes 14.0 0.2 0.6 0.0 0.4 4.3 0.0 381.3 
			 Fibre Plants and Silkworms 3.6 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.2 12.6 0.0 991.4 
			 Fruit and vegetables 38.1 1.0 46.5 0.1 1.5 17.5 0.0 1,551.3 
			 Products of the Vine-growing Sector 0.0 1.7 19.4 0.0 0.1 0.8 0.0 765.5 
			 Tobacco 0.0 0.8 16.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.8 989.4 
			 Other Plant Sectors and Products 10.3 0.3 5.1 2.1 3.1 5.9 0.0 350.0 
			 Milk and Milk Products 697.8 4.1 3.2 72.8 -0.7 97.2 0.0 2,544.3 
			 Beef and Veal 75.2 93.1 85.3 35.9 74.4 990.8 0.0 4,539.6 
			 Sheepmeat and Goatmeat 15.6 4.6 59.8 1.3 4.2 448.5 0.0 1,735.6 
			 Pigmeat, Eggs and Poultrymeat 41.9 14.6 2.4 4.0 4.6 7.8 0.0 435.2 
			 Other animal product aid measures 0.1 0.6 0.9 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.0 11.7 
			 Fishery products 0.1 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.3 1.5 0.2 9.4 
			 Non-Annex II products 104.1 19.3 2.1 9.4 13.5 76.5 0.0 572.2 
			 Food Aid 3.5 1.6 23.5 5.5 10.6 14.9 0.0 309.1 
			 Outermost Regions 0.0 0.0 39.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 226.9 
			 Veterinary and Phytosanitary Measures 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 102.5 102.5 
			 Monitoring and Prevention -0.3 -0.2 9.6 0.3 0.1 0.1 7.3 77.4 
			 Clearance of Previous Years' Accounts -3.0 -0.8 -39.6 -4.3 -0.6 -42.3 0.0 -1,077.9 
			 Promotion Measures 4.5 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.3 3.5 20.8 58.7 
			 Other Measures 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.7 46.9 443.1 0.0 904.1 
			 Rural Development 59.6 459.0 132.1 332.5 175.6 151.8 0.0 4,176.4 
			 Total EAGGF Guarantee Section 1,396.6 1,018.5 652.0 727.6 798.0 4,058.7 135.6 40,437.4

Departmental Website

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual cost of maintaining her Department's website is.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 26 October 2001
	Many business units across the Department contribute to the maintenance of the DEFRA website as part of their communications activities, and an overall figure cannot be arrived at without incurring disproportionate cost.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Local Government Finance

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the items of additional funding and their levels over and above the revenue support grant which his Department has made available to (a) Telford and the Wrekin council and (b) Shropshire county council in 2001–02 to date.

Alan Whitehead: The information is as follows:
	
		Additional funding above RSG—2001–02 budget estimate grants data -- £000
		
			 Nature of funding  2001–02 
		
		
			 Telford and Wrekin council  
			 Revenue Support Grant 58,840 
			 Redistributed Non-Domestic Rates 42,169 
			 Housing Annual Capital Guideline 1,070 
			 Transport Supplementary Credit Approval 4,913 
			 SRB—Madeley Challenge 213,696 
			 SRB—Improving access in Telford 4,000 
			 Disabled Facility Grant 200 
			   
			 Shropshire county council  
			 Rural Bus Service 674 
			 SRB 1,231 
			 Revenue Support Grant 71,105 
			 Redistributed Non-Domestic Rates 68,844 
			 Transport Supplementary Grant 563 
			 Transport Annual Capital Guideline 562 
			 Transport Supplementary Credit Approval 12,438 
			 AWM Land and Property—Treflach Quarry Oswestry 176 
			 AWM Land and Property—Montgomery Canal Stage 3a 100,027 
			 SRB—Services Participation Access Resources Knowledge in Shropshire 104,883 
		
	
	
		Additional funding above RSG—2001–02 budget estimate grants data -- £000
		
			 Nature of funding  2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Shropshire county council   
			 Rural Bus Challenge Grant 283 n/k 
			 Rural Bus Subsidy Grant 635 804 
			   
			  Telford and the Wrekin 
			 Rural Bus Challenge Grant 184 n/k 
			 Rural Bus Subsidy Grant 074 097 
			 Urban Bus Challenge — 615

Local Government Finance

Ivan Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will announce the national non-domestic rates multiplier for 2002–03; and if he will set out the basis of his calculations of the distributable amount of non-domestic rates for 2002–03.

Nick Raynsford: The non-domestic rate poundage (multiplier) for 2002–03 will be 43.7 pence. The amount of non-domestic rates in England for 2002–03 to be redistributed to local authorities will be £16,626 million, although estimated payments into the pool in 2002–03 will be £15,887 million. The distributable amount includes a surplus brought forward from 2001–02 of £611 million and an allowance of £128 million for an Exchequer payment to the non-domestic rates pool, to compensate for the shortfall which would otherwise occur as a result of the regulations under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and the transitional relief scheme, announced on 25 November 1999, Official Report, column 700.
	The calculations for 2002–03, and the prior-year figures, on which this is based, are set out in the following table.
	
		National non-domestic rates: calculation of Distributable Amount for 2002–03 -- £ million
		
			   Provisional outturn Estimated in-year contribution 
			   1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 1. Income from local lists 
			 Multiplier (p) 48.9 41.6 43.0 43.7 
			 Gross Yield 14,307 13,219 17,053 17,205 
			  
			 (i) Reliefs 
			 (a) Net Transitional Relief -456 -943 -323 -193 
			 (b) Empty Properties -935 -970 -1,017 -1,087 
			 (c) Charitable -515 -538 -562 -601 
			 (d) Rural Shops and Post Offices -2 -2 -2 -5 
			 (e) Discretionary -28 -34 -35 -37 
			 Net Yield after reliefs 12,372 10,732 15,114 15,281 
			  
			 (ii) Collection Costs/reductions to contributions 
			 (a) Cost of collection -83 -85 -84 -84 
			 (b) Losses on collection -118 -118 -141 -170 
			 (c) City of London offset -7 -7 -7 -7 
			 Total contribution in respect of year 12,165 10,523 14,883 15,021 
			  
			 (iii) Repayments/interest payments 
			 Total adjustments -495 2,358 -254 -299 
			 Net Local Yield 11,670 12,882 14,629 14,722 
			  
			 2. Income from Central List 
			 Net Central List Yield 1,319 868 1,136 1,155 
			  
			 3. Income from Crown List 
			 Contribution in Aid 
			 Net Crown Yield 332 9 10 10 
			  
			 Total NDR Yield 13,321 13,759 15,775 15,887 
			  
			 4. Exchequer 
			 Total Exchequer Contributions 310 415 262 128 
			  
			 Total NNDR pool payments (1+2+3+4) 13,631 14,174 16,037 16,015 
			  
			 5. Adjustments 
			 Surplus brought forward 919 939 -290 611 
			 Combined total 14,551 15,113 15,747 16,626 
			  
			 Distributable Amount 13,612 15,402 15,136 16,626 
			  
			 Surplus Carried Forward 939 -290 611 — 
		
	
	Notes:
	For 1999–2000 and 2000–01 the amounts shown are those recorded in the post end-year (NNDR3) returns. For 2001–02 the amounts shown are the provisional outturn for the year based mainly upon authorities' provisional contributions to the non-domestic rating pool. For 2002–03 the estimates are based on:
	1. Item 1: The gross calculated rate yield represents the total value of non-domestic hereditaments on local rating lists times the multiplier.
	2. Item 1(i)(a): The Transitional decrease adjustment includes the estimated amount of rates that will not be recouped from local list ratepayers under the transitional arrangements made by regulations under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and the transitional relief scheme, announced by written parliamentary question on 25 November 1999, Official Report, column 770W.
	3. Item 1(i)(b): The empty property relief adjustments include voids and partially occupied hereditaments. The 2002–03 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rate yield.
	4. Item 1(i)(c): Charitable rate relief. The 2002–03 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rate yield.
	5. Item 1(i)(d): Rural Shops and Post Office relief. Figures include mandatory relief for general stores and post offices under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997. Figures for 2001–02 onwards includes mandatory relief for petrol filing stations and public houses under the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Houses and Petrol Filling Stations) (England) Order 2001 (SI 2001/1345) and mandatory relief for new enterprises on former agricultural premises under the Rating (Former Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Act 2001. The 2002–03 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rate yield.
	6. Item 1(i)(e): Discretionary relief granted to charities, non-profit making organisations and for other reasons including discretionary relief for village shops and post offices under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997. Figures for 2001–02 onwards include discretionary relief for petrol filing stations and public houses under the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Houses and Petrol Filling Stations) (England) Order 2001 (SI 2001/1345) and discretionary relief for new enterprises on former agricultural premises under the Rating (Former Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Act 2001. The 2002–03 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rate yield.
	7. Item 1(ii)(a) and (b): The allowances for the costs and losses incurred by authorities in collecting non-domestic rates from ratepayers.
	8. Item 1(ii)(c): City Offset—the amount which the City of London will not be required to pay into the non-domestic rating pool. It is the amount which will be retained by the City to meet its own expenditure.
	9. Item 1(iii): net adjustment in respect of appeals and other amendments to the rating list affecting liability for previous years rates settled in that year.
	10. Item 2: the rateable value of non-domestic hereditaments on the central rating list times the multiplier, less the net effect of transitional arrangements, and adjusted for appeals and other changes in respect of previous years.
	11. Item 3: the 1999–2000 figures for crown properties include an allowance for the effect of transitional arrangements. For 2000–01 and 2001–02 almost all properties included in the crown list in previous years are included in the local list figures at item 1.
	12. Item 4: the contribution from central Government to offset the amount of the Secretary of State's estimate of income forgone as a result of transitional arrangements established by regulations under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and the transitional relief scheme, announced by written parliamentary question on 25 November 1999, Official Report, column 770W.

Corsham Station

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost is of the new Corsham station; and what part of that cost is being paid by (a) the Government, (b) Wiltshire county council and (c) Railtrack.

David Jamieson: The total cost of the new station at Corsham is approximately £2.42 million. A grant of £1.28 million has been awarded from the Strategic Rail Authority's Rail Passenger Partnership scheme which is funded by Government. North Wiltshire district council is contributing £720,000, Wiltshire county council £100,000, Corsham Town council £25,000, First Great Western £40,000 and the private sector consortium promoting the nearby Pockeredge Farm housing development £252,000. Railtrack are not contributing to the capital costs.

Ordnance Survey

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what (a) performance targets and (b) financial objectives for the Ordnance Survey he has set.

Sally Keeble: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 27 June 2001, Official Report, columns 103–104W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Bennett).

Ordnance Survey

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the level of consultation with external stakeholders during the quinquennial review of the Ordnance Survey.

Sally Keeble: Consultation with internal and external stakeholders constitutes an integral part of the first stage of a Quinquennial review. The review of Ordnance Survey provided extensive opportunities for consultation.
	The details of the Quinquennial Review process were widely published with an open invitation to any organisation or individual with an interest in Ordnance Survey to make a contribution.
	Responses were received from a wide range of stakeholders spanning central Government, the private sector, Ordnance Survey's customer and partner community, professional associations, user groups and individuals.
	In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad range of Ordnance Survey's key external stakeholders to ensure that their views were represented.
	I am satisfied that the level and range of consultation was both adequate and appropriate to the review process.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what estimate he has received from the Railtrack Administrator about the minimum time required to end Railtrack's administration;
	(2)  if Railtrack will be out of administration by 2004;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the anticipated minimum amount of time needed to complete the Railtrack administration;
	(4)  if Railtrack administration will last more than two years.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 605W.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what statutory powers govern his right of veto over the recommendations of the Railtrack Administrator about the future of the company; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the responsibilities are of the Railtrack Administrator in determining the future of the company.

David Jamieson: The administrators of Railtrack plc have a duty under section 59 of the Railways Act 1993 to manage the affairs, business and property of Railtrack plc for the achievement of the purposes of the railway administration order and in a manner which protects the respective interests of the members and creditors of the company in railway administration.
	The purposes of a railway administration order are to secure the transfer of so much of the company's undertaking as is necessary to ensure that the company's railway related activities are carried on and the carrying on of those activities until then.
	The transfer of the undertaking is effected by a scheme made by the company (acting by its administrators) under Schedule 7 to the Railways Act 1993. A scheme made under Schedule 7 cannot take effect unless it is approved by the Secretary of State.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information his Department has collated about Railtrack's creditors and their willingness to grant further credit to the company in Administration.

David Jamieson: Railtrack plc's post-Administration trade and finance creditors are being financed through the Loan Agreement made available to Railtrack plc at the making of the Railway Administration Order. Since 7 October the Administrator has been in negotiation with a number of suppliers, who are continuing to provide goods and services to Railtrack plc (in Administration), on account of the continued support of Government.

Railtrack

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the Parliamentary Secretary's answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 276W, on Railtrack, if he will publish the Government's estimated monthly financial commitments to the Railtrack administration, broken down into (a) running expenditure and (b) capital expenditure for as long as the Government estimates Railtrack to be in administration.

David Jamieson: As the exact extent of the Administration is at this stage unknown, it is not possible to estimate monthly financial commitments to the Railtrack Administrator for the length of the Administration.

Strategic Rail Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last met the Chief Executive of the Strategic Rail Authority.

David Jamieson: Ministers meet the Chief Executive of the Strategic Rail Authority regularly; specifically to discuss the authority's work and as part of wider industry meetings. The most recent meeting was on 8 November.

Light Rail Schemes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total amount of public funding is for light rail and tram schemes within the £180 billion total for the 10 year plan.

Sally Keeble: The total amount of public funding for light rail and tram schemes within the £180 billion total for the 10 year plan is £2.4 billion.

Ministerial Visits (North-East)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many times Ministers from his Department have visited (a) the Teesside area and (b) Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency to meet locally based businesses.

Alan Whitehead: None.

Energy Saving Regulations

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of energy saving regulations on (a) new buildings, (b) refurbishment of existing buildings, (c) domestic buildings and (d) non- domestic buildings.

Alan Whitehead: The Regulatory Impact Assessment that accompanied the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2001 was placed in the Library of the House on 11 October when the Amendment Regulations were laid before Parliament. It can also be viewed on the DTLR website at http://www.safety.dtlr.gov.uk/bregs/brpub/ 02.htm. It sets out the impact in terms of million tonnes of carbon (MtC) likely to be saved in 2010. It does not precisely address savings in the categories set out in the question. However, the savings identified are as follows.
	
		
			  MtC 
		
		
			 New buildings 0.7 
			 Refurbishment of dwellings (rather than all buildings) 0.7 
			 New dwellings 0.28 
			 New and refurbished non-domestic buildings 0.425

London Civil Contingencies Committee

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the London Resilience Sub-Committee referred to by Lord Rooker on 5 November 2001, Official Report, House of Lords, column 5, is the same body as the London Civil Contingencies Committee mentioned in a DTLR press release of 10 October.

Alan Whitehead: Yes.

Fire Brigade (East Sussex)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what emergency funding is in place for East Sussex Fire Brigade to help it deal with heavy flooding in east Sussex.

Alan Whitehead: The fire service is funded through the local authority revenue support grant system. In the event of a combined fire authority, such as east Sussex, incurring exceptional expenditure it would be able to seek any necessary additional funding from its constituent local authorities. These constituent local authorities would in turn be eligible to apply for emergency financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme, subject to the normal criteria that apply to that scheme.

Social Housing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reasons the stock of social housing in England has changed since 1997.

Sally Keeble: The stock of social housing in England since 1997, based on figures from local authorities and the Housing Corporation are in the table:
	
		
			 Year Social stock (million) 
		
		
			 1 April 1997 4.390 
			 1 April 1998 4.358 
			 1 April 1999 4.340 
			 1 April 2000 4.290 
		
	
	The main reason for the decrease in the social housing over the period from 1 April 1997 to 1 April 2000 was that more dwellings were being sold under Right-to-Buy legislation than were being added to the stock by new building and other acquisitions of dwellings. As well as buying dwellings in good condition, other acquisitions include refurbishment and conversions of existing dwellings or other buildings such as offices.

Social Housing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new social housing properties have been built in England in each of the past 10 years.

Sally Keeble: The number of new social dwellings, both for registered social landlords and local authorities, built in England in each of the past 10 years is in the table:
	
		
			 Year New social build (thousand) 
		
		
			 1991–92 23.1 
			 1992–93 26.5 
			 1993–94 31.7 
			 1994–95 32.2 
			 1995–96 31.0 
			 1996–97 25.0 
			 1997–98 21.7 
			 1998–99 19.1 
			 1999–2000 17.5 
			 2000–01 18.0 
		
	
	As well as building new dwellings, registered social landlords increase their stock by buying existing dwellings, converting and rehabilitating existing dwellings and other buildings such as offices.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the regulations which apply to the gap between the door of a train and the platform.

David Jamieson: The Railways and Other Transport Systems (Approval of Works, Plant and Equipment) Regulations 1994, require approval from the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) before any new or altered railway works plant and equipment, including station platforms, can be brought into use on the railway network.
	As a guide to these regulations HMRI's Railway Safety Principles and Guidance recommends maximum stepping distances of 250mm vertically, 275mm horizontally or 350mm diagonally for new or altered works. If these dimensions cannot be achieved, dispensation may be given and warning signs such as "mind the gap" along the platform edges, together with public address announcements are also required.

Speed Restrictions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 683W, on speed restrictions, what form the assessment framework will take; what progress has been made; when the assessment will be completed; and when revised guidance will be issued to highways authorities.

David Jamieson: The assessment framework is under development by DTLR as part of a package of work to implement our Road Safety strategy commitments. It was referred to in my answer of 28 November 2001, Official Report, column 943W, and is envisaged as a tool to assist highway authorities in the setting of speed limits on rural roads, rather than as a survey or definitive assessment of all roads. This and the related elements, also referred to, required to deliver the Road Safety strategy commitments on speed management are expected to take about a year to complete. The resulting guidance will follow that, probably during 2003.

Private Landlords

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to introduce a licensing scheme for private landlords.

Sally Keeble: My right hon. Friend published on 20 October a consultation paper on selective licensing of private landlords. This seeks views on proposals to introduce powers for local authorities to license all private landlords in all, or part of, their area, subject to the Secretary of State's consent. This would normally be granted only for areas of low housing demand facing severe problems, though consideration would also be given to any special cases outside such areas if compelling reasons were advanced. New primary legislation would be required to introduce such powers. The proposals are in addition to the Government's proposals to introduce mandatory licensing for houses in multiple occupation.

Pollutants

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research he has undertaken into the pollutants emitted from (a) petrol and (b) diesel engines; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer 30 November 2001
	In the past two years the Department has conducted nine main research projects on pollutant emissions from road vehicles, some of which are still ongoing.
	Completed projects for which reports will shortly be deposited in the House Libraries are;
	Detection of Vehicles Burning Lubricating Oil—AEA Technology (Petrol)
	DETR/SMMT/CONCAWE Particulate Research Programme—Ricardo (Petrol and Diesel)
	Low Emissions Diesel Research, Phase 1—AEA Technology (Diesel)
	Monitoring of Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Control Systems For The Detection of Off-Cycle Strategies—Lotus Engineering (Diesel).
	Ongoing projects for which reports are not yet available are:
	In-Service Exhaust Emissions Testing For SI Petrol Engines—AEA Technology (Petrol)
	Ethanol Emissions Testing—AEA Technology (Petrol)
	Emissions Factors—TRL (Petrol and Diesel)
	In-car Pollution Levels—AEA Technology (Petrol and Diesel)
	Remote Sensing and Vehicle Emission Inspection and Maintenance Programmes—TRL (Petrol).
	In addition the Department sponsors Powershift and CleanUp, programmes managed by the Energy Saving Trust, which monitor performance of a range of alternatively fuelled vehicles and emission reduction technologies. The Department also funds emissions research conducted by other organisations through the Foresight vehicle programme and the International Energy Agency. As a result of the Greener Fuels Challenge, the Department is also funding research into examining the benefits of promising fuels.

Radioactive Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which (a) ports and (b) airports are permitted to handle radioactive material; and what checks are in place to ensure the appropriate level of security applies to cargoes carried.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 December 2001
	All ports and airports can handle radioactive materials subject to the provisions of the relevant regulations.
	The security of radioactive material in transport is ensured through a range of measures and checks appropriate to the nature of material and the mode of transport.

Radioactive Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the Government's policy is on allowing an unlimited number of movements of radioactive material by (a) ship, (b) rail and (c) air provided safety standards are met.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Transport of radioactive material is permitted subject to regulations based on the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the appropriate modal authorities. These standards are reviewed on a regular basis and set in order to ensure an adequate level of safety. By doing so appropriate limits are placed on the transport of radioactive material

Radioactive Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is on allowing movement of radioactive material (a) through the channel tunnel and (b) on passenger ferries; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 December 2001
	Transport of radioactive material is permitted subject to regulations based on the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the appropriate modal authorities.
	(a) The transport of radioactive materials through the channel tunnel is only authorised through Eurotunnel Freight after agreement between the manufacturer/ producer of the radioactive material and Eurotunnel.
	(b) The carriage of radioactive materials on passenger ships is regulated by the provisions of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) of the International Maritime Organization.

Radioactive Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many aeroplane flights in UK airspace carried (a) high-level, (b) intermediate level and (c) low level radioactive material in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 December 2001
	This Department does not hold statistical information of this nature.

Radioactive Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy to seek to reduce the number of movements of radioactive material; and what review he has made of the movements of radioactive material since 11 September.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The transport of radioactive material, in support of justified practices, is subject to regulations based on the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the appropriate modal authorities. These standards are reviewed on a regular basis in order to ensure adequate levels of safety are maintained.
	The implications of the events of 11 September on the nuclear industry are under consideration by Government and industry. Transport is included in this exercise.

Radioactive Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) flights and (b) shipments were made in the latest year for which figures are available where (a) spent nuclear fuel, (b) nuclear waste, (c) other high level and (d) other intermediate radioactive material was transported between the UK and a foreign country.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 December 2001
	This Department does not hold statistical information of this nature.

Physical Agents Directive

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will ask the Health and Safety Executive to investigate further the potential impact of the European Commission's proposed physical agents directive.

Alan Whitehead: The Health and Safety Executive's Regulatory Impact Assessments of the proposed physical agents directives on vibration and noise are available in the House of Commons Library. The Health and Safety Commission will, in the course of consultation on the regulations implementing the directives if adopted, publish further assessments of the costs and benefits of those regulations.

Physical Agents Directive

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide financial support to businesses which are required to replace existing machinery under the European Commission's proposed physical agents directive.

Alan Whitehead: There are no requirements under the proposed physical agents directives on vibration and noise for businesses to replace existing equipment. It will be for businesses to decide, in the light of the final text of the directives which are still under negotiation, whether they wish or need to replace equipment to help them comply with requirements to limit exposure. In the case of the vibration directive there are long transitional periods before the exposure limitation requirement comes fully into force. The Government have no plans to offer financial support to businesses to comply with the legislation.

Fire Protection and Safety Legislation

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of fire protection and safety legislation; and what plans he has to reform fire protection and safety legislation.

Alan Whitehead: Broad proposals for the reform of fire safety legislation were developed by the Fire Safety Advisory Board and agreed by the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council in November 2000. These are now being developed in detail and our aim is to conduct a full public consultation in mid-2002 with a view to implementation by means of an Order under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001. The aim of the reform would be to simplify, rationalise and consolidate existing legislation, which is currently spread across over 100 different statutes. It would provide for a risk based approach to fire safety allowing more efficient, effective enforcement by the fire service.

Government Office for London

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees the Government Office for London has; and what the corresponding figures were in June 2000.

Alan Whitehead: The Government Office for London currently employs 245 full-time and 11 part-time employees. Corresponding figures in June 2000 were approximately 362 full-time and eight part-time employees.

Roads

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what the criteria are for prioritising the targets for the resurfacing of concrete trunk roads and motorways under the 10 year plan;
	(2)  what the annual budget is for the motorway and trunk road noise barrier programme; and when it will next be reviewed;
	(3)  if he will list, in order of priority, the projects in the noise barrier programme, together with the expected dates for the commencement of construction and anticipated cost of each project;
	(4)  when the (a) M27 between junctions 7 and 8 and (b) M3 between Southampton and Winchester were last subjected to condition surveys and maintenance cycle reviews; and what estimates were made of the time expected to elapse before resurfacing with low noise materials would be required;
	(5)  if he will list those noise barrier projects that (a) have been completed and (b) are under construction, indicating the construction cost of each project.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to reply to the hon. Gentleman.
	Letter from Tim Matthews to David Chidgey, dated 4 December 2001
	I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the noise barrier programme, the criteria for prioritising resurfacing of concrete roads, and about the condition of the M27 between junctions 7 and 8 and the M3 between Southampton and Winchester.
	The Government recognised in "A New Deal For Trunk Roads in England" published in 1998 that traffic noise was becoming an increasing problem and stated that:
	Quieter road surfaces would be specified in all future contracts for new trunk roads;
	The most appropriate noise reducing surfaces are used whenever a road needs resurfacing where noise is a particular concern; and
	A budget would be established for noise mitigation measures to tackle some of the most serious and pressing problems on existing trunk roads.
	Traffic noise is therefore being tackled through programmes of quieter surfacing and noise mitigation measures, such as noise barriers. As a matter of policy, we use quieter surfaces whenever a road needs to be resurfaced and as part of the Government's 10 Year Transport Plan, we are tasked with resurfacing at least 60% of trunk roads, including all concrete roads, with quieter materials by 31 March 2011. The criteria to be used in deciding the priorities for resurfacing concrete roads were recently announced by Ministers and are as follows:
	That wherever possible the application of quieter surfaces will fit in with normal maintenance needs;
	That priority will be given to those sites where treatment would benefit the greatest number of people;
	That the works will be carried out in such a way as to minimise disruption to the general public and users of the network;
	That priority will be given to roads, opened since June 1988, where actual noise levels have turned out to be significantly higher than predicted at the time of the Public Inquiry.
	The Government's proposals for reducing the effects of traffic noise were first set out in Hansard (Column 682 in November 1999). A list of the schemes at these sites that have been completed or are under construction is in Table A attached. The provision of low noise surfacing has an impact on the treatment necessary at these sites. We are still carrying out studies listed in Hansard and until they are completed, I cannot give an indication of the cost or timing of any work identified at the remaining sites. The annual ring fenced budget for noise mitigation measures is £5M and there are currently no plans to review it.
	Regarding the condition of the M27 and M3, the Agency carries out several different road surveys to determine the condition and residual pavement life of the trunk road network. Measurements are undertaken annually of the road surface condition, including rutting, texture depth and profile. A visual assessment is undertaken every 5 years, together with a deflectograph survey that determines residual pavement life. A skid resistance survey is completed every 3 years. The forward programme of maintenance is identified from a study of the results of all these assessments. Analysis of the results of the latest road condition surveys of the M3 between junction 7 and 8 indicates that, subject to further testing, the section near Winchester may be due for major maintenance, which would include the use of a low noise surface, in about 2004–05. The condition of the M27 between Southampton and Winchester currently indicates that maintenance would not be required within the next 5 years.
	
		Table A
		
			 Scheme name/description Quieter surfacing QS Noise barrier B Completed C under construction U Construction costs (£) 
		
		
			 A19 Billingham Bypass B C 192,000 
			 M6 J26–27 Orrell(1) B C 186,000 
			 M1 J33–34 Tinsley B C  
			 M1 J33–34 Brinsworth B C1,820,000  
			 M62 J31–32 Lower Altofts B C  
			 M602 J1–2 Eccles B C 794,000 
			 M42 J1 Lickey End B C 67,000 
			 A52 Spondon B C 834,000 
			 A1 Tuxford QS C (37)— 
			 A52 Clifton QS C 436,000 
			 A27 Portsbridge Noise Barrier B C 125,000 
			 A34 Boltey Noise Mitigation B C 470,000 
			 A404 (M) Maidenhead Noise Mitigation B C 1,335,000 
			 M25 Clackett Lane to Jct 5 QS C (37)— 
			 M60 J12–13 Worsley B U 4,000 
			 M6 J8–9 (Phases 1 to 3) B U 689,000 
			 M1 J25 B U 2,116,000 
			 M3 6–7 Basingstoke Accoustic Barrier Ph 1 B U 410,000 
			 M3 J4–4a Farnborough B U 1,275,000 
			 M4 J7 8/9 Holyport/Bray Noise Mitigation B U 300,000 
			 M4 J5–6 Datchet Brands Hill Noise Mitigation B U 469,000 
			 A34 Hinksey Noise Mitigation B U 503,000 
		
	
	(37) Major Maintenance schemes providing quieter surfacing

Deprived Wards

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish, in rank order, the 100 most deprived wards in the Government office eastern region, indicating their (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Sally Keeble: The information has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Deprived Wards

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list in rank order the 100 most deprived wards in the Government office north-west region, indicating the (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Sally Keeble: The following 100 wards in the Government office north-west region are sorted by Index of Multiple Deprivation (2000).
	
		
			 Number/ward Local authority Parliamentary constituency 
		
		
			 1. Benchill Manchester Wythenshawe and Sale, East BC 
			 2. Speke Liverpool Liverpool, Garston BC 
			 3. Everton Liverpool Liverpool, Riverside BC 
			 4. Vauxhall Liverpool Liverpool, Riverside BC 
			 5. Princess Knowsley Knowsley, South CC 
			 6. Granby Liverpool Liverpool, Riverside BC 
			 7. Pirrie Liverpool Liverpool, West Derby BC 
			 8. Breckfield Liverpool Liverpool, Walton BC 
			 9. Longview Knowsley Knowsley, South CC 
			 10. Cherryfield Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 11. Harpurhey Manchester Manchester, Blackley BC 
			 12. Beswick and Clayton Manchester Manchester, Central BC 
			 13. Kirby Central Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 14. Northwood Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 15. Bradford Manchester Manchester, Central BC 
			 16. Bidston Wirral Birkenhead BC 
			 17. Melrose Liverpool Liverpool, Walton BC 
			 18. Clubmoor Liverpool Liverpool, West Derby BC 
			 19. Smithdown Liverpool Liverpool, Riverside BC 
			 20. Ardwick Manchester Manchester, Central BC 
			 21. Dovecot Liverpool Liverpool, West Derby BC 
			 22. Cantril Farm Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 23. Whitefield Pendle Pendle BC 
			 24. Central Manchester Manchester, Central BC 
			 25. Netherley Liverpool Liverpool, Garston BC 
			 26. Newton Heath Manchester Manchester, Central BC 
			 27. Kensington Liverpool Liverpool, Wavertree BC 
			 28. Central Bolton Bolton, North-East BC 
			 29. Central and Falinge Rochdale Rochdale CC 
			 30. Birkenhead Wirral Birkenhead BC 
			 31. Linacre Sefton Bootle BC 
			 32. Tranmere Wirral Birkenhead 
			 33. Tower Hill Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 34. Audley Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn CC 
			 35. Danehouse Burnley Burnley BC 
			 36. Gorton South Manchester Manchester, Gorton BC 
			 37. Woodhouse Park Manchester Wythenshawe and Sale, East BC 
			 38. Middleton West Rochdale Heywood and Middleton CC 
			 39. Moss Side Manchester Manchester, Central BC 
			 40. Coldhurst Oldham Oldham, West and Royton BC 
			 41. Werneth Oldham Oldham, West and Royton BC 
			 42. Shadsworth Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn BC 
			 43. Alexandra Oldham Oldham, West and Royton BC 
			 44. Mirehouse West Copeland Copeland CC 
			 45. St. Mary's Liverpool Liverpool, Garston BC 
			 46. Central Hyndburn Hyndburn BC 
			 47. Sandwith Copeland Copeland CC 
			 48. Higher Croft Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn BC 
			 49. Smallbridge Rochdale Rochdale CC 
			 50. Wensley Fold Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn BC 
			 51. St. Mary's Oldham Oldham, East and Saddleworth 
			 52. Longsight Manchester Manchester, Gorton BC 
			 53. Central Barrow-in-Furness Barrow and Furness CC 
			 54. Parr and Hardshaw St. Helens St. Helens, South BC 
			 55. Shear Brow Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn BC 
			 56. Queen's Park Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn BC 
			 57. Valley Liverpool Liverpool, Garston BC 
			 58. Broughton Salford Salford BC 
			 59. Bradley Pendle Pendle BC 
			 60. Derby Bolton Bolton, South-East BC 
			 61. Little Hulton Salford Worsley CC 
			 62. Knowsley Park Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 63. Salterbeck Allerdale Workington CC 
			 64. St. Michael's Knowsley Knowsley, South 
			 65. Castlefields Halton Weaver Vale CC 
			 66. Brinnington Stockport Stockport BC 
			 67. Hulme Manchester Manchester Central BC 
			 68. Abercromby Liverpool Liverpool, Riverside BC 
			 69. Cheetham Manchester Manchester, Blackley BC 
			 70. Blackfriars Salford Salford BC 
			 71. St. Gabriels Knowsley Knowsley, South CC 
			 72. Ordsall Salford Salford BC 
			 73. County Liverpool Liverpool, Walton BC 
			 74. Park Blackpool Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 75. Norley Wigan Wigan CC 
			 76. Ewanrigg Allerdale Workington CC 
			 77. Alexandra Blackpool Oldham, West and Royton BC 
			 78. Seacombe Wirral Wallasey BC 
			 79. Bank Hall Burnley Burnley BC 
			 80. Halewood South Knowsley Knowsley, South CC 
			 81. Tanhouse West Lancashire West Lancashire CC 
			 82. Bastwell Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn BC 
			 83. Fishwick Preston Preston BC 
			 84. Risedale Barrow-in-Furness Barrow and Furness CC 
			 85. Claremont Blackpool Blackpool, North and Fleetwood CC 
			 86. Pendleton Salford Salford BC 
			 87. Whitefield Knowsley Knowsley, North and Sefton, East CC 
			 88. Lightbowne Manchester Manchester, Blackley BC 
			 89. Dingle Liverpool Liverpool, Riverside BC 
			 90. Ribbleton Preston Preston BC 
			 91. Riverside Halton Halton CC 
			 92. Barclay Burnley Burnley BC 
			 93. Hindpool Barrow-in-Furness Barrow and Furness CC 
			 94. Page Moss Knowsley Knowsley, South CC 
			 95. Tuebrook Liverpool Liverpool, West Derby BC 
			 96. Baguley Manchester Wythenshawe and Sale, East BC 
			 97. Newbold Rochdale Rochdale CC 
			 98. Langworthy Salford Salford BC 
			 99. Blackley Manchester Manchester, Blackley BC 
			 100. Fazakerley Liverpool Liverpool, Walton BC

SSA (Somerset)

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he plans to take to ensure that Somerset county council's standard spending assessment is set at a level to reflect (a) the costs of delivering services in rural areas, (b) the size of the county's road network, (c) the demands on social services due to the level of the elderly population and (d) the backlog of capital works; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: All of the factors referred to in the question are reflected to some extent in the current Standard Spending Assessment formulae, which are used to allocate between councils the resources made available by the spending review. We are currently reviewing those formulae and have announced our intention to implement changes to take effect in 2003–04. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is today announcing the provisional 2002–03 local government finance settlement.

Rough Sleepers

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what methodology was used by Rough Sleepers' Unit and its predecessor to count the number of people sleeping rough on any single night since 1997; and if he will make a statement regarding the reasons for changes in the methodology used.

Stephen Byers: The methodology used by the Rough Sleepers Unit to count the number of people sleeping rough on any single night was developed in the early 1990s by the Department, in partnership with the voluntary sector. The methodology used for producing a national estimate was set out in an answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Local Government and the Regions on 19 May 1999, Official Report, columns 355–62W and has been tested and developed through independent research and remains unchanged. The same methodology has been used nationally for over five years, and since the early 1990s in London.
	Counts are conducted by voluntary sector homelessness agencies, working with local authorities and independent volunteers. The results are finalised and submitted by these agencies to the Rough Sleepers Unit. The methodology for counts is adhered to strictly and consistently.

Rough Sleepers

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people obtained permanent housing after being housed in (a) bed and breakfast accommodation and (b) hostels by the Rough Sleepers' Unit for (i) less than one week, (ii) between one week and one month and (iii) over one month, in each quarter since the unit was established.

Stephen Byers: Under the Government's strategy on rough sleeping, the Rough Sleepers Unit funds a number of agencies to provide permanent and temporary accommodation for rough sleepers and to refer people sleeping rough, or with a history of rough sleeping, into that accommodation and other services.
	Information is not available in the format requested. Information from the Clearing House which manages referrals to permanent accommodation in London provided with Government funding shows that:
	During the last financial year (1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001), 669 former rough sleepers were housed in permanent homes.
	A total of 898 former rough sleepers were referred to the Clearing House for permanent accommodation during 2000–01, of whom:
	74 per cent. were referred from hostels
	10 per cent. from the street
	5 per cent. from staying with friends
	2 per cent. from a housing association tenancy
	1 per cent. from Bed and Breakfast accommodation
	1 per cent. from a cold weather shelter
	1 per cent. from a rolling shelter.
	1 per cent. where the referral location was in an "other" category
	5 per cent. where the referral location was not stated.
	These referrals have played a vital part in helping the Rough Sleepers Unit to achieve its target of reducing rough sleeping in England by two-thirds.

Rough Sleepers

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people were housed in (a) bed and breakfast accommodation and (b) hostels by the Rough Sleepers' Unit for (i) less than one week, (ii) between one week and one month and (iii) over one month in each quarter since the unit was established.

Stephen Byers: Under the Government's current strategy on rough sleeping, the Rough Sleepers Unit provides funding for a number of agencies who provide permanent and temporary accommodation. The Unit also funds a number of agencies to provide outreach workers and Contact and Assessment Teams who help rough sleepers into accommodation and other services. Staff from the Unit do not routinely refer rough sleepers into accommodation. However, they do from time to time liaise with agencies to ensure that any vulnerable rough sleepers they encounter during street work are helped into appropriate accommodation and support.
	Information on referrals into accommodation is not available in the format requested. Monitoring information from the database of Contact and Assessment Team's clients in London is given.
	Over the twelve months between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001, 1,679 rough sleepers were helped into accommodation. Some were helped into accommodation more than once. The total number of referrals from the streets for those 1,679 individuals was 2,485. These referrals were to the following types of accommodation:
	
		
			 Action Number who entered accommodation 
		
		
			 Booked into permanent accommodation 151 
			 Booked into a hostel 1,211 
			 Booked into a rolling shelter 719 
			 Booked into other temporary accommodation 63 
			 Accessed specialist treatment programme 252 
			 Admission to a night centre 86 
			 Booked into Bed and Breakfast accommodation 3 
			  
			 Total 2485 
		
	
	Of the 1,679 individuals who were referred into these forms of accommodation during the period, 1,262 (75 per cent.) were still in accommodation at the end of the year.
	These referrals have played a vital part in helping the Rough Sleepers Unit to achieve its target of reducing rough sleeping in England by two-thirds.

Homelessness

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) statutory single homeless people and (b) non statutory homeless people are (i) in bed and breakfast, (ii) in hostels, (iii) in squats and (iv) sleeping rough; and what plans he has to reduce the numbers of non-statutory homeless people.

Stephen Byers: On 30 June 2001, the total number of households being accommodated by local housing authorities in bed and breakfast hotels under existing homelessness legislation was 11,340 and a further 9,440 households were being accommodated in hostels. Information about the proportion of these which were single person households is not held centrally.
	It is estimated that there are 532 people sleeping rough in England on any one night in autumn 2001, compared to 1,850 in 1998.
	Information is not held centrally about the number of households living in squats or the number of households who are self-placed in hostels or bed and breakfast accommodation.
	The Homelessness Bill, when enacted, will require local authorities to conduct a review of the levels, and likely future levels, of all forms of homelessness in their area and to develop a strategy for preventing homelessness and ensuring that sufficient accommodation and support is available for those who are or may become homeless.
	My right hon., noble and learned Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning also announced yesterday that a new Homelessness Directorate will be set up to bring together and invigorate existing work to help homeless people, as well as develop new work to help prevent homelessness, and investigate its underlying causes.

London Underground

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much London Transport has spent on consultancy costs for the London Underground public private partnership and the forecast of total expenditure.

David Jamieson: I understand from London Transport that their expenditure on external consultants from 20 March 1998 (the date of the Government's announcement) to 30 September 2001, for work on the PPP and restructuring of London Underground, was £80.2 million and London Transport estimate that the final amount should be around £98 million.